Cabinet minister Charles Clarke has defended a government
move to allow staff of outsourcer Capita working in the Criminal
Records Bureau access to the Police National Computer.An amendment to the Criminal Justice Bill
allows private sector workers at the CRB the right to access the
PNC directly rather than having to ask a civil servant to get the
information for them.
The amendment, to be debated next week, will
allow staff of a company working in partnership with the CRB to
work on the PNC, which holds the criminal record data. Capita holds
the contract.
A Home Office spokesman said the change merely
meant suitably vetted staff would have access to the PNC. The move
is linked to another clause, which renders anyone improperly
disclosing information subject to a £4,000 fine or a year in
prison. Civil servants improperly disclosing information would also
be in breach of the Official Secrets Act.
Earlier this month, Liberal Democrat MP Paul
Burstow claimed in a parliamentary debate that the CRB's IT systems
provided by Capita may not have been fit for purpose.
Clarke said the proposed legislation would
"improve the efficiency" of the CRB by allowing Capita staff to
access the PNC directly under strict controls.
"I am in favour of anything that helps the CRB
to do a more efficient job and cuts down on bureaucracy. I do not
think this represents a major infringement of civil liberties,'' he
added.