Offender Management Bill

moved Amendment No. 92: 92: Clause 11, page 7, line 21, after first ““to”” insert ““— (i)”” The noble Baroness said: Amendments Nos. 92 and 93 are probing amendments to ask the Minister to clarify a point made in paragraph 71 of the Explanatory Notes. On this occasion the Minister will not be able to say, ““Well, this was fully debated in another place””, because those debates did not touch on this. Clause 11 is intended to clarify the power of certain bodies to share data for any purpose that is listed in subsection (4). The list is very wide. It includes, "““the probation purposes … the performance of functions relating to prisons or prisoners … and any other purpose connected with the management of offenders (including the development … of policies relating to matters connected with the management of offenders)””." Subsection (3) provides the power to share data, "““but only if the disclosure is necessary or expedient for … the purposes mentioned in subsection (4)””." Paragraph 71 of the Explanatory Notes states: "““That enables the bodies listed in subsection (1) to share data with one another. It also enables disclosure between those bodies and the bodies listed in subsection (2). The clause has no application to disclosures between bodies listed insubsection (2)””." But it goes on to say that, "““there may be powers elsewhere that cover these””." I found the words ““may be”” a very strange indication. Are there or are there not such powers elsewhere? If so, where are they and what impact will they have on the operation of the powers in the Bill? I beg to move.