❓ Hon. Robyn McSweeney questions the Minister for Health regarding the Information Privacy Bill 2007 and police access to health records in child sexual abuse cases involving STIs. The Minister defers the answer, citing the need for statutory interpretation.
AnsweredQoN 685Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE - INFORMATION PRIVACY BILL
I refer to the Information Privacy Bill 2007. (1) Will this bill allow police to access information from the Department of Health regarding suspects that the police have when children under 14 years of age present with a sexually transmitted disease, such as syphilis and gonorrhoea, as a tool to further a conviction against the perpetrators? (2) As STIs are notifiable diseases, the health department keeps records of all names of those who present with these diseases. These names can then be matched with the suspected perpetrator if a child has presented with an STI. Is this the intention of the bill? (3) If no to (2), under what circumstances would the police be allowed to access medical records given that there have been only 18 convictions out of 478 notifications of STIs in children from 2004? Hon SUE ELLERY
I refer to the Information Privacy Bill 2007. (1) Will this bill allow police to access information from the Department of Health regarding suspects that the police have when children under 14 years of age present with a sexually transmitted disease, such as syphilis and gonorrhoea, as a tool to further a conviction against the perpetrators? (2) As STIs are notifiable diseases, the health department keeps records of all names of those who present with these diseases. These names can then be matched with the suspected perpetrator if a child has presented with an STI. Is this the intention of the bill? (3) If no to (2), under what circumstances would the police be allowed to access medical records given that there have been only 18 convictions out of 478 notifications of STIs in children from 2004? Hon SUE ELLERY
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the honourable member for some notice of this question. As the answer requires some statutory interpretation, I request that the member put the question on notice.
(1) Will this bill allow police to access information from the Department of Health regarding suspects that the police have when children under 14 years of age present with a sexually transmitted disease, such as syphilis and gonorrhoea, as a tool to further a conviction against the perpetrators? (2) As STIs are notifiable diseases, the health department keeps records of all names of those who present with these diseases. These names can then be matched with the suspected perpetrator if a child has presented with an STI. Is this the intention of the bill? (3) If no to (2), under what circumstances would the police be allowed to access medical records given that there have been only 18 convictions out of 478 notifications of STIs in children from 2004? Hon SUE ELLERY replied: I thank the honourable member for some notice of this question. As the answer requires some statutory interpretation, I request that the member put the question on notice.
(2) As STIs are notifiable diseases, the health department keeps records of all names of those who present with these diseases. These names can then be matched with the suspected perpetrator if a child has presented with an STI. Is this the intention of the bill? (3) If no to (2), under what circumstances would the police be allowed to access medical records given that there have been only 18 convictions out of 478 notifications of STIs in children from 2004? Hon SUE ELLERY replied: I thank the honourable member for some notice of this question. As the answer requires some statutory interpretation, I request that the member put the question on notice.
(3) If no to (2), under what circumstances would the police be allowed to access medical records given that there have been only 18 convictions out of 478 notifications of STIs in children from 2004? Hon SUE ELLERY replied: I thank the honourable member for some notice of this question. As the answer requires some statutory interpretation, I request that the member put the question on notice.
Hon SUE ELLERY replied: I thank the honourable member for some notice of this question. As the answer requires some statutory interpretation, I request that the member put the question on notice.
I thank the honourable member for some notice of this question. As the answer requires some statutory interpretation, I request that the member put the question on notice.
(1) Will this bill allow police to access information from the Department of Health regarding suspects that the police have when children under 14 years of age present with a sexually transmitted disease, such as syphilis and gonorrhoea, as a tool to further a conviction against the perpetrators? (2) As STIs are notifiable diseases, the health department keeps records of all names of those who present with these diseases. These names can then be matched with the suspected perpetrator if a child has presented with an STI. Is this the intention of the bill? (3) If no to (2), under what circumstances would the police be allowed to access medical records given that there have been only 18 convictions out of 478 notifications of STIs in children from 2004? Hon SUE ELLERY replied: I thank the honourable member for some notice of this question. As the answer requires some statutory interpretation, I request that the member put the question on notice.
(2) As STIs are notifiable diseases, the health department keeps records of all names of those who present with these diseases. These names can then be matched with the suspected perpetrator if a child has presented with an STI. Is this the intention of the bill? (3) If no to (2), under what circumstances would the police be allowed to access medical records given that there have been only 18 convictions out of 478 notifications of STIs in children from 2004? Hon SUE ELLERY replied: I thank the honourable member for some notice of this question. As the answer requires some statutory interpretation, I request that the member put the question on notice.
(3) If no to (2), under what circumstances would the police be allowed to access medical records given that there have been only 18 convictions out of 478 notifications of STIs in children from 2004? Hon SUE ELLERY replied: I thank the honourable member for some notice of this question. As the answer requires some statutory interpretation, I request that the member put the question on notice.
Hon SUE ELLERY replied: I thank the honourable member for some notice of this question. As the answer requires some statutory interpretation, I request that the member put the question on notice.
I thank the honourable member for some notice of this question. As the answer requires some statutory interpretation, I request that the member put the question on notice.
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