Consultation on Draft Code of Data Matching Practice
The Serious Crime Act 2007 gives the Comptroller and Auditor General a new statutory power to conduct data matching exercises. It adds Articles 4A to 4H to the Audit and Accountability (Northern Ireland) Order 2003. It is anticipated this power will come into force on 6 April 2008.
The legislation requires the Comptroller and Auditor General to prepare a Code of Data Matching Practice to govern its data matching exercises, and to consult on it before it is laid before the Assembly.
The purpose of this Code of Data Matching Practice is to help ensure that the Northern Ireland Audit Office and all persons and bodies involved in data matching exercises comply with the law, especially the provisions of the Data Protection Act 1998, and to promote good practice in data matching. All bodies conducting or participating in these data matching exercises must, by law, have regard to the Code.
The Code includes guidance on the notification process for letting individuals know why their data is matched and by whom, the standards that apply and where to find further information.
The draft Code has been developed in consultation with the Information Commissioner, who will be invited to provide a Foreword for the final version. It takes into account the guidance provided by the Information Commissioner in his Framework code of practice for sharing personal information (consultation draft).
A copy of the consultation draft Code of Data Matching Practice 2008 and a list of those organisations to whom this consultation document has been sent are available below.
It is proposed that the Code will be finalised, published and laid before the Assembly in July 2008.
Any comments on the Code should be forwarded by 4 June 2008 to Patrick O’Neill, Northern Ireland Audit Office, 106 University Street, Belfast, BT7 1EU Tel 02890 251023 email: consultation@niauditoffice.gov.uk . Printed copies of the consultation draft Code can be obtained from Patrick O’Neill, to whom requests for alternative formats should also be addressed.
Feedback on the consultation process will be published on this web page in due course.
Press Release (20 KB, Adobe PDF Format)