Govt ‘must reassure’ on census data risk
MPs have called for reassurance that Britons’ personal data will not be made available to US intelligence agencies.
The Commons’ Treasury sub-committee has today published a report expressing concern about bids for the 2011 census by US firms Lockheed Martin and T-Systems.
Under the US’ patriot act it is possible for American intelligence bodies like the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to demand data held by US firms, potentially exposing details of the 2011 census.
The sub-committee’s chairman, Michael Fallon, told politics.co.uk the two firms were “major players” in the census business and that their experience meant they were worth considering.
He said the government had assured MPs the problem was not an issue and that advice had been taken.
“No one wants your personal details collected in one country to be available to the intelligence agencies in another country,” Mr Fallon explained.
“It can be done [without that exposure] but you need to reassure people that their personal data will be safe.”
The new UK Statistics Authority has been given the task of reviewing the way in which government departments share data and what extra safeguards stay in place.
Jill Matheson, director of census demography, told the sub-committee: “We are taking legal advice with a view to making sure that the commitment we give to census form fillers is one that we can abide by, that is, that the data are kept confidential and secure for 100 years.”
MPs concluded they wanted to see the government publish the advice it has received from the US state department and published in response to this report.
“We want that advice published so that people can be reassured,” Mr Fallon added.
