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This work involved a very small amount of staff time, within a much larger programme and so a precise figure is not available. However, we estimate the total cost is likely to have been around £3,000. All of this work was carried out within existing NRS budgets.

The linkage which was carried out between an extract of the National Health Service Central Register (NHSCR) and an extract of the 2011 Census was carried out under the direction of the Beyond 2011 Programme Board which was chaired by the Registrar General.

Section 5 of the Census Act 1920 imposes a duty on the Registrar General to further the supply and provide for the better co-ordination of any available statistical information with respect to the number and condition of the population between each census. The statistical research exercised that was carried out between the NHSCR and the census data was carried out in support of this duty.

The linkage which was carried out between an extract of the National Health Service Central Register (NHSCR) and an extract of the 2011 Census was carried out under the direction of the Beyond 2011 Programme Board which was chaired by the Registrar General.

The Beyond 2011 Programme was established to explore the provision of population and socio-demographic statistics in Scotland. The programme aimed to investigate a range of options and alternatives in relation to the supply and provision of available statistical information, including the possibility of using administrative sources and methods for developing a more cost-effective and efficient census design. This linkage of extracts took place to help assess the suitability of increasing the use of the NHSCR in the production of census statistics.

No. Neither the 2011 Census nor the NHS Central Register systems contain an identifying number or code which allows individual records to be cross-referenced between the two.

Privacy impact assessments will be completed for all provisions before regulations are laid. The consultation also makes clear that the Registrar General would only share information if he has put in place data sharing agreements which would provide safeguards. All organisations to which the Registrar General would be allowed to provide information would have to comply with the Data Protection Act 1998 which is regulated by the Information Commissioner’s Office.

The responses to the consultation on amendments to the National Health Service Central Register (Scotland) Regulations 2006 will be published online within 25 working days after the close of the consultation in line with Scottish Government guidance. Responses will therefore be published no later than 1 April 2015.

The only proposed change to the NHS central register is to supplement existing postcode information with postcode information sourced from the Community Health Index system. As with other amendments, this would be implemented following the completion of a data sharing agreement.

The costs of providing additional public bodies with the ability to use myaccount will be absorbed within the existing budget for this service. The costs of the other proposals would be minimal and met within existing budgets.

Data protection legislation requires data to be processed fairly and lawfully. The consultation sets out the detail of the amendments that would be made to the 2006 Regulations to provide the legal basis for sharing at the discretion of the Registrar General. Existing sharing arrangements under the 2006 Regulations are backed up by data sharing arrangements in line with data protection requirements and the consultation makes clear that similar data sharing arrangements are proposed for the amendments.