A parliamentary question addresses data security in the WA public sector following a critical report. The response acknowledges the issue, cites existing legislation, and mentions ongoing review, but avoids direct answers.

AnsweredQoN 747Legislative Council
Asked
13 October 2005
Portfolio
Public Sector Management

QuestionView source ↗

Given the damning report by the Corruption and Crime Commission regarding the lack of security of personal data in the public sector, will the minister indicate - (1) Whether there is a register, record or list of public sector organisations handling sensitive information? (2) What mechanism is used by the minister to assure himself that staff who handle sensitive information in public sector organisations undergo suitable security checks? (3) What mechanism is used by the minister to ensure himself that audits to track access to sensitive information within public sector organisations are undertaken in a timely and appropriate manner? (4) Which of the public sector organisations handling sensitive information have not carried out an audit to track access to sensitive information within the 12 months to 29 September 2005? (5) How many individual public sector employees have been found to have inappropriately accessed and/or disclosed sensitive information over the past five years? Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH

AnswerView source ↗

I answer on behalf of the Leader of the House. I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1)-(5) The management of potentially sensitive official information is a matter for all public sector bodies. The management of information is a function of each chief executive officer or chief employee under section 29(1) of the Public Sector Management Act 1994. More generally, the act requires that all public sector bodies and employees are to be scrupulous in the use of official information. As discussed in the Corruption and Crime Commission report “Protecting Personal Data in the Public Sector”, to which the member refers, there are numerous mechanisms through which allegations that public sector employees have inappropriately accessed and/or disclosed sensitive information are dealt with. The government is currently considering the financial and legal implications of the Corruption and Crime Commission report. A working group has been established to examine those matters and will report back to the Deputy Premier as the Minister Assisting the Minister for Public Sector Management.
(1) Whether there is a register, record or list of public sector organisations handling sensitive information? (2) What mechanism is used by the minister to assure himself that staff who handle sensitive information in public sector organisations undergo suitable security checks? (3) What mechanism is used by the minister to ensure himself that audits to track access to sensitive information within public sector organisations are undertaken in a timely and appropriate manner? (4) Which of the public sector organisations handling sensitive information have not carried out an audit to track access to sensitive information within the 12 months to 29 September 2005? (5) How many individual public sector employees have been found to have inappropriately accessed and/or disclosed sensitive information over the past five years? Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH replied: I answer on behalf of the Leader of the House. I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1)-(5) The management of potentially sensitive official information is a matter for all public sector bodies. The management of information is a function of each chief executive officer or chief employee under section 29(1) of the Public Sector Management Act 1994. More generally, the act requires that all public sector bodies and employees are to be scrupulous in the use of official information. As discussed in the Corruption and Crime Commission report “Protecting Personal Data in the Public Sector”, to which the member refers, there are numerous mechanisms through which allegations that public sector employees have inappropriately accessed and/or disclosed sensitive information are dealt with. The government is currently considering the financial and legal implications of the Corruption and Crime Commission report. A working group has been established to examine those matters and will report back to the Deputy Premier as the Minister Assisting the Minister for Public Sector Management.
(2) What mechanism is used by the minister to assure himself that staff who handle sensitive information in public sector organisations undergo suitable security checks? (3) What mechanism is used by the minister to ensure himself that audits to track access to sensitive information within public sector organisations are undertaken in a timely and appropriate manner? (4) Which of the public sector organisations handling sensitive information have not carried out an audit to track access to sensitive information within the 12 months to 29 September 2005? (5) How many individual public sector employees have been found to have inappropriately accessed and/or disclosed sensitive information over the past five years? Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH replied: I answer on behalf of the Leader of the House. I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1)-(5) The management of potentially sensitive official information is a matter for all public sector bodies. The management of information is a function of each chief executive officer or chief employee under section 29(1) of the Public Sector Management Act 1994. More generally, the act requires that all public sector bodies and employees are to be scrupulous in the use of official information. As discussed in the Corruption and Crime Commission report “Protecting Personal Data in the Public Sector”, to which the member refers, there are numerous mechanisms through which allegations that public sector employees have inappropriately accessed and/or disclosed sensitive information are dealt with. The government is currently considering the financial and legal implications of the Corruption and Crime Commission report. A working group has been established to examine those matters and will report back to the Deputy Premier as the Minister Assisting the Minister for Public Sector Management.
(3) What mechanism is used by the minister to ensure himself that audits to track access to sensitive information within public sector organisations are undertaken in a timely and appropriate manner? (4) Which of the public sector organisations handling sensitive information have not carried out an audit to track access to sensitive information within the 12 months to 29 September 2005? (5) How many individual public sector employees have been found to have inappropriately accessed and/or disclosed sensitive information over the past five years? Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH replied: I answer on behalf of the Leader of the House. I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1)-(5) The management of potentially sensitive official information is a matter for all public sector bodies. The management of information is a function of each chief executive officer or chief employee under section 29(1) of the Public Sector Management Act 1994. More generally, the act requires that all public sector bodies and employees are to be scrupulous in the use of official information. As discussed in the Corruption and Crime Commission report “Protecting Personal Data in the Public Sector”, to which the member refers, there are numerous mechanisms through which allegations that public sector employees have inappropriately accessed and/or disclosed sensitive information are dealt with. The government is currently considering the financial and legal implications of the Corruption and Crime Commission report. A working group has been established to examine those matters and will report back to the Deputy Premier as the Minister Assisting the Minister for Public Sector Management.
(4) Which of the public sector organisations handling sensitive information have not carried out an audit to track access to sensitive information within the 12 months to 29 September 2005? (5) How many individual public sector employees have been found to have inappropriately accessed and/or disclosed sensitive information over the past five years? Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH replied: I answer on behalf of the Leader of the House. I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1)-(5) The management of potentially sensitive official information is a matter for all public sector bodies. The management of information is a function of each chief executive officer or chief employee under section 29(1) of the Public Sector Management Act 1994. More generally, the act requires that all public sector bodies and employees are to be scrupulous in the use of official information. As discussed in the Corruption and Crime Commission report “Protecting Personal Data in the Public Sector”, to which the member refers, there are numerous mechanisms through which allegations that public sector employees have inappropriately accessed and/or disclosed sensitive information are dealt with. The government is currently considering the financial and legal implications of the Corruption and Crime Commission report. A working group has been established to examine those matters and will report back to the Deputy Premier as the Minister Assisting the Minister for Public Sector Management.
(5) How many individual public sector employees have been found to have inappropriately accessed and/or disclosed sensitive information over the past five years? Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH replied: I answer on behalf of the Leader of the House. I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1)-(5) The management of potentially sensitive official information is a matter for all public sector bodies. The management of information is a function of each chief executive officer or chief employee under section 29(1) of the Public Sector Management Act 1994. More generally, the act requires that all public sector bodies and employees are to be scrupulous in the use of official information. As discussed in the Corruption and Crime Commission report “Protecting Personal Data in the Public Sector”, to which the member refers, there are numerous mechanisms through which allegations that public sector employees have inappropriately accessed and/or disclosed sensitive information are dealt with. The government is currently considering the financial and legal implications of the Corruption and Crime Commission report. A working group has been established to examine those matters and will report back to the Deputy Premier as the Minister Assisting the Minister for Public Sector Management.
Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH replied: I answer on behalf of the Leader of the House. I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1)-(5) The management of potentially sensitive official information is a matter for all public sector bodies. The management of information is a function of each chief executive officer or chief employee under section 29(1) of the Public Sector Management Act 1994. More generally, the act requires that all public sector bodies and employees are to be scrupulous in the use of official information. As discussed in the Corruption and Crime Commission report “Protecting Personal Data in the Public Sector”, to which the member refers, there are numerous mechanisms through which allegations that public sector employees have inappropriately accessed and/or disclosed sensitive information are dealt with. The government is currently considering the financial and legal implications of the Corruption and Crime Commission report. A working group has been established to examine those matters and will report back to the Deputy Premier as the Minister Assisting the Minister for Public Sector Management.
I answer on behalf of the Leader of the House. I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1)-(5) The management of potentially sensitive official information is a matter for all public sector bodies. The management of information is a function of each chief executive officer or chief employee under section 29(1) of the Public Sector Management Act 1994. More generally, the act requires that all public sector bodies and employees are to be scrupulous in the use of official information. As discussed in the Corruption and Crime Commission report “Protecting Personal Data in the Public Sector”, to which the member refers, there are numerous mechanisms through which allegations that public sector employees have inappropriately accessed and/or disclosed sensitive information are dealt with. The government is currently considering the financial and legal implications of the Corruption and Crime Commission report. A working group has been established to examine those matters and will report back to the Deputy Premier as the Minister Assisting the Minister for Public Sector Management.
(1)-(5) The management of potentially sensitive official information is a matter for all public sector bodies. The management of information is a function of each chief executive officer or chief employee under section 29(1) of the Public Sector Management Act 1994. More generally, the act requires that all public sector bodies and employees are to be scrupulous in the use of official information. As discussed in the Corruption and Crime Commission report “Protecting Personal Data in the Public Sector”, to which the member refers, there are numerous mechanisms through which allegations that public sector employees have inappropriately accessed and/or disclosed sensitive information are dealt with. The government is currently considering the financial and legal implications of the Corruption and Crime Commission report. A working group has been established to examine those matters and will report back to the Deputy Premier as the Minister Assisting the Minister for Public Sector Management.

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