Clause 15 - Power to make public services conditional on identity checks
Identity Cards Bill
4:45 pm
Mr Des Browne (Minister of State (Citizenship, Immigration and Counter-Terrorism), Home Office; Kilmarnock and Loudoun, Labour)
Under clause 17(1) there is a power to set out in the regulations what information will be provided. In relation to each set of public services, these considerations can be debated, consulted upon and worked out, with the regulations being developed appropriately. It would be illegal to have regulations that were in contravention of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974, so they must be drafted in such a way that they take account of that.
I repeat: those regulations will allow only some of the information, depending on the service. I do not see any reason for being concerned that registrable facts that are of no business to the particular service will be accessed. Those services will be denied access to that information, although it may be held for other reasons. Indeed, it may be held because the person whose information is held is entitled to go back and see that this is appropriate.