Police and Justice Bill

We support the proposal that the registrar should be given the legislative power to disclose information given on the registration of a death, both quickly and in bulk to specified public and private sector organisations, on the basis that it is to be used for the prevention and detection of crime. Even if the amendment were not put forward as a direct response to a briefing from the Reed Group, I would have some sympathy with it on the basis that it is right to probe which organisations the Government intend to give access to such information in this expedited way. The amendment would delete paragraph (d), which gives the Government the right to extend by order the organisations that can have that expedited access to information. What thought have the Government given to the types of organisation that should benefit from that express service? Is it intended to cover all banks and building societies that issue credit cards and set up bank accounts? In that case, will organisations be given the power in a generic sense, or will those organisations specified by business name be given the power to get that information? I note that the new clause was introduced in another place only at Report stage so that, of course, debate was necessarily truncated. The Minister, Mr Liam Byrne, stated that the primary purpose of the new provision is, "““to allow the police and other organisations to identify attempts to perpetrate identity fraud””.—[Official Report, Commons, 10/5/06; col. 365.]" Of course, that is sensible enough. It would also be sensible for the Government to tell the Committee what plans they have to open up this expedited procedure to organisations other than banks and building societies in addition to the police services that are named in the Bill. There is a need for a general steer on this. Of course I appreciate that the information that is registered on a person’s death becomes public property anyway. Indeed, I have been awarded probate for three of my closest relatives, so I know what happens and have been through the legal procedure. I realise that the clause is merely about how quickly that information enters the public domain in the sense that it becomes available first to a favoured group of people as opposed ultimately to being available to everyone. The noble Lord, Lord Dholakia, referred specifically to the briefing from the Reed Group, which I have before me. Like him, I have no financial or other interests to declare as far as that company is concerned. It has expertise in the area and I think that it makes an interesting point. I note that its letter was sent to Dr Reid on 12 June. I appreciate that, by his own admission, he has had a little work to do since then and that he may not yet have had the opportunity personally to respond to the Reed Group. But, here we are, the opportunity is available to the noble Lord, Lord Bassam, to help Dr Reid out of a hole.