Question reference: S5W-07384
- Asked by: Clare Haughey, MSP for Rutherglen, Scottish National Party
- Date lodged: 21 February 2017
-
Current status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 22 February 2017
Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-03160 by Shona Robison on 7 October 2016, whether it has reached a decision on how it will take forward its response to the consultation on the proposed amendments to the National Health Service Central Register (Scotland) Regulations 2006.
Answer
Ministers have listened carefully to the arguments made during the consultation on proposed amendments to the LEARS Act Regulations, and have concluded that it would not be appropriate to broaden the range of bodies prescribed in legislation who can share data with the National Health Service Central Register, even subject to strong controls. Ministers therefore do not intend to take forward the amendments to this effect originally proposed.
Ministers do believe that it is desirable that a member of the public, who wants to access public services online, can be given the chance to demonstrate their identity easily – and be confident that no-one else is able to pretend to be them, and that their privacy is guaranteed. This becomes ever more important as the Scottish Government takes on new powers, prepares to deliver new services, and aims to make these services as convenient, accessible and user-centred as possible.
Ministers therefore intend to work with stakeholders, privacy interests and members of the public to develop a robust, secure and trustworthy mechanism by which an individual member of the public can demonstrate their identity. Any such mechanism will have to be entirely consistent with the Scottish Government’s Privacy Principles, so that members of the public can be confident that their privacy is being protected.