The Effect of These Powers in the Context of Information Sharing

One of the first tasks that the partners will face is putting in place a mechanism for ensuring effective information sharing. This will involve making an assessment of the sources of information available, and designing information flows that will facilitate the work of the partnership.

In the overwhelming majority of cases, there will normally be no legal barrier in principle to exchanging information between partnerships and those operating on their behalf (co-operating bodies), such as Registered Social Landlords, Victim Support Organisations and Neighbourhood Watch Co-ordinators and others.

Where a clear need has been identified to implement a specific objective of the Crime and Disorder Strategy and which requires the co-operation of another organisation, described in the Crime & Disorder Act, then this will normally be permissible, assuming that there is no specific statutory restriction on disclosing specific types of information. Where this does not apply it may not be possible to exchange information at all.

Nevertheless, all information exchanges must still comply with the law in the way that they are conducted.

There are two questions to be asked before disclosing any information:

• First, and most fundamentally, do I have a legal power to disclose this information?

and if so

• Am I proposing to do so properly, with due regard to both common and statute law, including the common law duty of confidence and the statutory data protection principles?

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