Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study - Safeguards

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The following details the safeguards DWP have put in place to ensure we are being seen to be behaving responsibility with the data within the Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study.

1. Restricting access

   Only those with genuine business needs are allowed access to the data and that access is kept to the minimum level necessary for the purposes of the Department. All users will be asked to submit a business case. Three versions of the data will be kept and accessed as follows:

   Version 1 - fully identifiable, 24 year history, accessible only by those who will be linking in the Inland Revenue data;
   Version 2 - anonymised, 24 year history, available to analysts for statistical and research purposes;
   Version 3 - fully identifiable, 1 year history, used for operational purposes (most notably fraud and error).

2. Ethics Committee

   An ethics committee has been established to consider proposals which have a significant ethical dimension. The Head of Data Services in DWP will be responsible for day-to-day decision-making on access to the data. The Ethics Committee will monitor the decisions and will advise on those decisions which the Head of Data Services has referred to the Committee. The Committee will consider expert legal advice and will be made up of statistical and research experts as well as representatives of employers and individuals.
   The terms of reference for the Ethics Committee, in Microsoft Word format, can be found by clicking this link.

3. Quarterly publication of the uses

   
   To ensure that DWP are accountable to the public for all work on the data, an internet and paper-based list of uses (existing and new) will be published every 3 months.

4. Monitoring user activity

   
   Any users with unusual patterns of activity will be picked up and monitored using specialist software. Illegal and unethical misuse of the data constitutes a breach of the terms and conditions of DWP employment and can result in disciplinary action and ultimately dismissal.

5. Monitoring the uses of data

   DWP will monitor which records and data items are being used and ensure that Inland Revenue supplies only the minimum number of records and variables necessary for effective use for operational and analytical purposes. This review process will take place every 12 months.

6. Public access rights

   Individuals will be able to request a copy of the data DWP hold on them for operational purposes within the Master Index of the Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study. Data protection printouts are available from the IAD Information Centre (0114 2098024).

7. Involvement of the Information Commissioner

   DWP have consulted with the Information Commissioner's Office on the above safeguards, and will continue to do so, with the view that the Information Commissioner will audit the Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study during 2004/5.
   A preliminary audit has been conducted by Enterprise Privacy Group under contract to DWP.

Contact point for further information: wpls@dwp.gsi.gov.uk

Call Information Directorate on 0114 209 8562

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