The Information Commissioner says he won’t support government’s plans to create a single resident record - because he doesn’t trust civil servants not to misuse personal information with ’impunity’.

Iain McDonald says there needs to be legislation in place first to provide effective sanctions and penalties against public servants who misuse personal data and those that permit such abuse to take place.

And he believes a culture change is required before civil servants can be trusted with such records.

A feasibility study is being drawn up by the Cabinet Office for the creation of a central record containing information on residents including name, address, date of birth, gender, National Insurance number. It believes it would provide substantial benefits for residents and government - if it is done correctly and with appropriate safeguards in place.

But Information Commissioner Iain McDonald says he won’t support the move for the time being as government can’t be trusted with our data.

He told iomtoday: ’I believe a single resident record is necessary in the future to deliver public services efficiently and effectively. Millennials expect to do everything on the phone. But that would require legislation so that civil servants can’t misuse or abuse it.

’There has to be strong penalties. But we don’t have any legislation that prevents misuse.’

Mr McDonald said a ’culture change’ is required before the civil service can be entrusted with such records.

He said: ’This culture change requires legislation that ensures the civil service cannot misuse personal data with impunity and provides effective and dissuasive sanctions and penalties against civil servants that misuse personal data and those that permit it.’

Mr McDonald cited the report into management of case files by the children’s and family services division, that was debated in last month’s Tynwald sitting, as a justification for his stance.

A presentation by IT professional Steve Burrows was shown at a public meeting about the single resident record last week organised by the Positive Action Group.

In it, he suggested minimum mandatory five-year imprisonment of government workers, their departmental chief executive officers and Ministers, ’for each and any abuse of citizen data’.

There are currently about 60 main databases and more than 200 separate systems used across government that store basic personal information.

Having a single resident record would be cheaper, more accurate, and would make it simpler to access government services and benefits without having to enter personal details each time, says supporters.

Mr McDonald’s stance has come as a surprise to government as the Information Commissioner has previously said he supported a residents’ database.

In his response to the select committee on the operation of the jury system, Mr McDonald stated the he had been a proponent of a residents’ database for ’several years’, saying that ’if implemented and used correctly with appropriate safeguards and effective sanctions for misuse, can improve the protection of the public’s personal data’.

Mr McDonald prepared a briefing note on issues and questions as part of the feasibility study which is due to be presented at the December Tynwald. He also came to a Tynwald members’ briefing about the resident record in July and spoke in favour.

Policy and Reform Minister Chris Thomas said he cannot pre-empt the single resident record feasibility study presentation, debate and decision. But he added: ’It has already been stated in public that it proposes a smart service framework rather than a central database of personal and sensitive information.

’The smart service framework would ensure personal data is protected and would not allow any information to be seen by anyone except those people already authorised to see it.’

Mr Thomas said a Bill to modernise legislation on data protection, information security and the use of data in relation to policing and crime prevention will be introduced in the new year. Consultation on the proposed Data Protection Bill can be expected in January, he added.