Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of using national insurance numbers to register sex offenders.

Public protection is a priority for this Government and the notification requirements for registered sex offenders form an invaluable tool in the management of offenders within the community.

Qualifying offenders are required to notify their personal details to the police. This system is often referred to as the ‘sex offenders’ register’ and requires offenders to provide the police with a record of their national insurance number, as well as other personal details such as their name, date of birth, and bank details. This must be done annually and whenever their details change.