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Saving Gateway Accounts Bill

Amendment 45 adds a provision to Clause 18 and seeks to protect information obtained by HMRC under the Bill. This is a probing amendment that takes us into the area of information-sharing and seeks to ascertain what HMRC can do and intends to do with this information. We are generally sceptical about information-sharing within government because it carries great potential for harm to individuals if information is improperly used or disclosed. The key issue is what safeguards exist to protect the individuals whose data are shared. Will the Minister set out what HMRC can do with the information obtained from DWP under the Bill? Can the information be used for an HMRC purpose other than the saving gateway scheme? If so, what can it do and are there any constraints? Furthermore, once HMRC obtains data from DWP, can HMRC transfer it to another government department under any other information gateway provisions, and are there any constraints there? What controls will exist to protect data from inappropriate onward transfer? Lastly, can HMRC transfer the data outside government or outside the UK and, if so, under what powers? What constraints and controls operate there? As I said, this is a probing amendment designed to ascertain the position. I hope that the Minister can set that out clearly. I beg to move.