Clause 20 - Further uses connected with the
Identity Cards Bill
9:10 am
Mr Richard Allan (Shadow Spokesperson for the Cabinet Office, Cabinet Office; Sheffield, Hallam, Liberal Democrat)
This amendment is helpful. Like other Committee members, I have worked through the clauses and the explanatory notes to try to understand the exact scope of this clause. It is difficult and complex.
To what extent are we talking about only the provision of information to people overseas? To what extent would that broaden the scope of our previous discussion on clause 19 about allowing information to be disclosed to other people and agencies in the United Kingdom, separately from the scope of that clause? We would like to discuss such issues more generally in the clause stand part debate.
During our discussions on this amendment it would be helpful to be given a greater understanding of the precise scope of the provisions in the Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001. Does the Minister see the clause as being specifically about the disclosure of information from the identity register to people abroad for overseas proceedings, or as applying more broadly?
Explanatory notes are usually very helpful. However, paragraph 132 of those for this Bill pretty much repeats the wording of the clause, and does not leave us any more enlightened. It also has an interesting variation on the spelling of ''overseas''—it spells it ''oversees'' twice. It is important that we get a statement from the Minister on the precise intention of the clause. Clearly, people will have additional concerns about the provision of data held by the UK Government to people overseas; when such data goes overseas, it will not be under the same control mechanisms as when it is held in the United Kingdom only. That is a natural area of concern, which I hope the Minister will clarify in his response.