Immigration (Supply of Information to the Secretary of State for Immigration Purposes) Order 2008

I thank noble Lords for their support for this measure. Both noble Lords raised the issue of data protection. They are absolutely right: this is a hugely important area, which we take very seriously. There is an element of closing stable doors in some of the things that are going on at the moment, which is not very clever. Looking back over 10 or 15 years or so, I am afraid that people have not been as clever at looking after data as they should have been. We absolutely needed to tighten things up in this area and that has been done. We are taking the right measures. This is an area where people need constant education to ensure that they know the right things to do, and that has to go on all the time because it is very easy to slip back into bad habits. We are very clear about ensuring that that is done. As I said, the new power does not abrogate the need to comply with all the important safeguards in relation to data protection and the Human Rights Act. That is a very important part of it. The noble Lord asked a specific question about the sharing of data. The DVLA shared information on 1,172 cases in 2007-08—effectively over the past financial year—for the purposes of verifying immigration status. Of those, 489 were fraudulent applications, and that shows the value of this sort of check. The scale of the problem and the fact that it is becoming more widespread means that we need this measure. We need to put things on a more formal basis so that those in administration and others understand where they stand, what the rules are and what has to apply. The senior information risk officer will report to Parliament, but I will have to write with more detail on this. It is a move in the right direction and will add to existing safeguards. I am not sure exactly what the specific consultations were. Perhaps I can get back to the noble Lord in writing on that point. I think we are all agreed that data protection is very important. These data are crucial in countering fraud, crime and illegal immigration. We have to look after them properly as we have to use them and hold them. This is an issue not only for Government but also for private firms that are increasingly holding all sorts of data. This is a very important issue, and I am glad that it was raised. The information will be shared securely and will generally be passed online. If it is not, I would be very surprised, but I will make certain and let the noble Lord know in writing if it is not on an encrypted laptop. There may be occasions when it is not possible to send it online, which I imagine is when that will happen, but I will check the position and get back to the noble Lord in writing.