UK BORDER AGENCY AND THE DATA PROTECTION ACT 1998

That this House notes that the Order that amended the Data Protection Act 1998 which came into force on 17 December 2002 removed the Act's restrictions on the disclosures of sensitive data to hon. Members and other elected representatives when they are dealing with constituents' cases, where hon. Members have presumed consent to obtain information; further notes that officials of the UK Border Agency (UKBA) gave assurances at a meeting on 21 June 2011 hosted by the Minister of State at the Home Office accepting that that is the case; regrets that the UKBA MP's Hotline appears to be unaware of the assurances and of presumed consent; further regrets that the Minister of State at the Home Office has failed to respond to the representations made to him by the hon. Member for Ilford South; and calls on the Home Secretary to instruct all officials in her Department and particularly those at the UKBA to apply the policy of presumed consent immediately to all representations from hon Members.