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I think whatever the procedures adopted by the Independent Safeguarding Agency (ISA), cases of unfair and excessive processing of personal data will be the likely outcome in future. The reason: the ISA’s check uses the wrong criteria. The BBC’s web-site today explains that “The Vetting and Barring Scheme (VBS) will now involve only those working with the same children once a week, not once a month, for example” and that “the new rules will apply to about two million fewer
With a General Election looming, the Scottish minority SNP Government has decided to put clear “Skye-Blue” water between its attitude to Freedom of Information and that of the Labour Party – the main opposition in Scotland. Scottish Minister for Parliamentary Business Bruce Crawford has confirmed the Scottish Government will consult in spring 2010 on whether to extend the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 [FOISA] for the first time to cover a wider range of bodies who deliver public services in
There are three consequences arising from the Prime Minister’s speech today. The first is that more information is to be made public and the publication scheme might be the vehicle for this enhancement; the second is that the reuse of public information is to be expanded considerably and reuse is likely to be free (i.e. no licence fee); the third relates to the ID Card project (which might be in trouble). In relation to more access to information, the PM
Most citizens in the UK should expect to be linked to the proposed DNA database. This is the conclusion I have reached when considering a policy that permits indefinite retention of DNA data of those who have committed “recordable criminal offences” (as defined by the Home Secretary, see this week’s blogs). To show that this prospect is inevitable let’s go back to some official statistics. The first one is: “Research recently carried out on men born in 1953 revealed that
The Government has decided not to have a specific “DNA Commissioner”. This means that because DNA data are personal data, the Information Commissioner will become the prime regulator in relation to the Government’s DNA retention provisions. However, as will be discovered, the Commissioner will have his hands tied behind his back by the legislation as currently drafted. For example, the intention is that DNA data will be retained for specific periods of time (e.g. those convicted of a recordable offence
The Home Secretary’s statement on DNA retention confidently states “we propose the indefinite retention of DNA profiles of convicted adults”. So far so good as most people, when they think of “convicted adults” think of a burglar, a bank robber or a rapist. However, this is not what the Home Secretary means. He has in mind something far more lowly in the hierarchy of criminal acts to justify indefinite retention of DNA; it includes the actions of people who do
The Human Genetics Commission Chair, Professor Jonathan Montgomery, has asked a simple question: "It is not clear how far holding DNA profiles on a central database improves police investigations?". The HGC has just published a report containing the damaging allegation that police were arresting individuals in order to populate the DNA database. Well I think I have found the answer to the Professor's question with an analysis of the Government’s own crime statistics. My answer undermines arguments for long DNA retention periods based on
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