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Home Office

Answer

Michael Fabricant: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what procedures are in place (a) to check the criminal records of civil servants in his Department and agencies responsible to his Department who have access to computer databases containing confidential information on the public and (b) to ensure that there can be no improper use of computer databases containing confidential information on the public; and if he will make a statement. [194601] Mr. Blunkett: On recruitment to the Home Office and its agencies all civil servants are subject to the satisfactory completion of a criminal records check before they are allowed access to computer databases containing confidential information on the public. All serving staff are also required to report any conviction for a criminal offence (except a traffic offence with a non-official vehicle for which the penalty has not included imprisonment or the suspension of their driving licence). All IT systems containing protectively marked information have security operating procedures which set out clear requirements for the secure handling of data. On a regular basis these are brought to the attention of staff and they are required to read them.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

194601; 426 c1577W;426 c1580W

Session

2003-04

Subjects

Data protection Databases Criminal records Civil servants Government departments Home Office Vetting

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk