Ms Siobhan Mugan:

It would not necessarily change the process of redaction because the Data Protection Act still applies to the database. As the committee may be aware, the issue with the database is that only those who are processing FOI requests or subject data access requests can access the information that is held on the database. None of the staff working within the tracing service can access it because the legislation in that regard is not sufficient to allow us to use it. We have a standard operating procedure on foot of the DPIA, in which respect we are working with our data protection colleagues in order to maximise the amount of information that we are providing. We are constantly reviewing the procedure to ensure that there is joint working between the data protection privacy officers and social workers so that we can supply as much information as we are legally able and authorised to give.