Section 128 — Welfare Reform Act 2012: Information-sharing between Secretary of State and DPP

Information-sharing between Secretary of State and DPP 128 1 The Secretary of State may supply social security information or child support information to a person specified in subsection (2) for use for a purpose specified in subsection (3).

2 The persons referred to in subsection (1) are—

a the Director of Public Prosecutions;

b a person appointed under section 5 of the Prosecution of Offences Act 1985 (conduct of prosecutions on behalf of Crown Prosecution Service).

3 The purposes referred to in subsection (1) are—

a the institution or conduct of criminal proceedings which relate wholly or partly to social security matters or child support ;

b the giving of advice to any person on any matter relating to criminal proceedings, or criminal offences, which relate wholly or partly to social security matters or child support ;

c the exercise in relation to social security matters or child support of functions assigned to the Director of Public Prosecutions under section 3(2)(g) of the Prosecution of Offences Act 1985;

d the exercise of functions of the Director of Public Prosecutions under Part 2, 5 or 8 of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002.

4 The reference in subsection (1) to the Secretary of State includes a person providing services to the Secretary of State.

5 This section does not limit the circumstances in which information may be supplied apart from this section.

6 In this section— “child support information” means information held for the purposes of any of the Secretary of State’s functions relating to child support; “ social security information ” means information held for the purposes of any of the Secretary of State's functions relating to social security matters; “ social security matters ” means— social security (including the payments and allowances referred to in section 127(8)), tax credits, and schemes and arrangements under section 2 of the Employment and Training Act 1973.