Clause 20
Borders, Citizenship and Immigration Bill [Lords]
4:15 pm
Tom Brake (Carshalton and Wallington, Liberal Democrat)
I fully support the amendments, and their intention to introduce tighter controls on the use and disclosure of information. Miss Begg, you will not have heard this morning’s deliberations on databases and so on, and I will not bore other hon. Members who have heard them at length today and on other occasions, but clearly there is an issue about the creation of very large, centralised databases and the control, security and disclosure of data. The amendments would ensure that specific consent is sought, or that the data relate exclusively to an individual and would thus tighten up the procedures.
I shall digress briefly. This morning, many Members may have heard a story about mobile phones. At some point in the past, perhaps in response to a market research questionnaire, people may have failed to tick a box to confirm that they were not giving consent to having their mobile phone number held in a central directory. People who missed that box then found that their mobile phone number was available through that central directory. There are some similarities in flagging up the fact that consent may have been sought in relation to a specific exchange of data, rather than generalised consent that was given in the past—perhaps in circumstances slightly different from those that prevail now—and which has been forgotten about. Unless the Minister can give some strong reassurances that the amendments would serve no purpose, we may well be supporting the hon. Member for Ashford in his venture if he pushes his point harder.