The Government made a commitment to table several amendments at Report Stage. These will include specifying in the Bill:

a) the types of basic information that the databases will contain. That includes: name; date of birth; address; a unique identifying number, name and contact details of the person with parental responsibility or in charge of day-to-day care of the child; educational setting; GP practice details and health visitor if there is one working with the child.

b) a list of statutory bodies and other bodies that will be required or permitted to supply information to the database.

c) the persons and bodies allowed to share information, although there will be a ‘little flexibility’ built into this: other bodies may be added by secondary legislation.

There will also be an amendment to ensure that decisions about permitting or requiring disclosure of information cannot be sub-delegated, and that the database cannot require case details – only the name and contact details of any person providing services. It was accepted that the contact details may themselves be revealing if, for instance, the address is of a GUM Clinic or of mental health services. The government undertook to look at this issue again.

Clause 8 (7) could have allowed the Secretary of State to compel professionals to breach their duty of confidentiality, but this will now be amended to say that they ‘may’ breach it, not that they ‘must’.

An amendment to 8(9)(e) will institute cross-checking of information for accuracy.

Parents will retain the right under the Data Protection Act to know what is on the database.

The age at which information should be deleted will be covered in guidance.

Guidance will state that parents and young people should be informed when databases are being set up, of how they will work and in broad terms what information will be included on them and which types of professionals will have access to that information.

JCHR