As the 'People Information Programme Manager' at the IDeA (no doubt a title
which will have many more emails coming!) I would just like to take this
opportunity to set the record straight.
Firstly, the IDeA is an organisation which exists to help local government
improve. In the section I work in, we particularly look at practical ways
to allow local authorities to implement e-government - the requirement being
that local authorities deliver 100% of their services electronically by
2005.
In order to deliver services electronically, you need to know where you are
delivering services to and to whom you are delivering them. The National
Land and Property Gazetteer (NLPG) is the definitive address list for the
UK. We are now looking at a way of enabling service delivery to citizens.
The Rights in Data group (for which I am responsible) is, as Edwina has
pointed out, a large group of local authority officers with a vast amount of
data protection (and other access to information law) experience. This is
the group which has been tasked with looking at the privacy issues concerned
with a 'population register'. Many members of the group are also members of
this mailing list.
In the meantime, the changes to electoral legislation has meant that there
is a need to link the local electoral registers to allow a central access
point - whilst retaining local management of them. In order to do this,
they need to be built to data standards - BS7666 for addresses and a
standard which is being developed for names (which, incidentally may or may
not be numbered BS8766). The standard for names is being created by a
'virtual group' of local authority volunteers - we wrote out to nearly 2000
local authority officers and asked them if they wanted to be involved - to
ensure that the eventual standard encompasses the best practice of local
authorities.
The rights in Data group are members of this virtual group as well. The
Rights in Data group also has membership from OIC.
We would always say that any identification of the citizen would have to be
separate from current identifiers (i.e. not using NI or other current
numbers). Also, the standard for names that is currently being worked on is
to define the characteristics of the name and not (as the papers may have
implied) to define an identifier.
Finally, there is an implication that we are working separately from UK
Online. This is simply not true - we are represented on the XML discussions
too. I agree, any development of standards separately is a nonsense.
If local authority contributors to the list would like to be a member of the
virtual working group, please let me know and I will add you to the group.
Regards
Nicola Wood
People Information Programme Manager
Improvement and Development Agency for Local Government
-----Original Message-----
From: Lewis Bourne [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: 26 September 2001 15:01
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: British Standard for Identifying a citizen
Perhaps members would be interested in commenting on the following:
I have been contacted by a colleague who is working in a virtual working
party tasked with developing BS8766 "Identification and referencing of
the citizen" naming standard.
This is still a concept with no specific timeframe but has been given
added vitality by recent comments about a national I.D card.
The concept is being driven by the I&DeA (Improvement and development
agency) and their aspiration to have a National name and address
database. It is also linked in with the National Electronic Electoral
Rolling Register.
The bottom line in all this is that citizens can inform local or central
government once about e.g. a move of house or any other life event and
everyone will be informed in one go.
The national address convention already exists. What BS8766 aims to do
is to introduce a convention for identifying a citizen. This standard
is still very much in a consultative stage (smoke filled rooms). My
initial comment was "Has the group had any Data Protection input"
comment received was "DPA has been mentioned and the idea would be that
the framework will only be put in place if citizens give consent!!"
The I&DeA are being driven by Local Authorities. I am led to believe
that Central Government is doing a similar thing through UK Online -
somewhere, somehow the two may come together. My concern is that this
process may be overlooking the requirements of the Data Protection Act.
For your additional information I have reproduced a draft 'table' that
covers the suggested format of recording a citizens name record and,
also some "virtual working group" ideas for how citizens can be
referenced locally:
The groups comments re: the DP consequences of such a concept would be
useful
DATA ITEM: Proposed Field Name: Field Length:
Mandatory Y/N: Format/comments:
Unique Pupil PUPILUPN 13
N Could be used as
Number
identifier for school
age citizens.
National NATINSNO ?
N Where available, and
Insurance
citizen permits use
Number
can be used as
identifier, may be used
in combination with
other identifiers.
DVLA Drivers
licence number DVLALICNO ?
N Where available and
citzen permits use.
Passport Number PASSPRTNO ?
N Where available and
citizen permits use.
Electoral Roll
Number ELEROLLNO ?
N Where available and
citizen permits use.
Unique Tax
Reference UNIQTAX ?
N Where available and
citizen permits use.
Last Name LASTNAME 30
Y Legal last name.
First Name FIRSTNAME 15
N Full first name.
Other Names 25
N Any character string
Date of Birth DOB 8
Y Date format
ddmmyyyy
other info is Gender, Former names, Ethnicity, Nationality, mother
tongue, preferred language, refugee indicator, Religious affiliation,
medical conditions, various property details.
You get the idea!
My initial thoughts go along the lines of Fairness - how will all this
be obtained?, lawful - 'general identifiers' NO even if 'citizen' gives
consent. Excessive - is all this required for the business purpose (is
the purpose transparent?). Need I go on?
Any views.
Lewis Bourne
Principal Information Security Officer
I.C.T. Services
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