Provision by Provision Commentary General Section 64: Sharing of information with the chief constable
126.Section 64 gives Ministers a power to share information with the chief constable of the Police Service of Scotland. It applies to information held in connection with Ministers’ functions under this Part of the Act, but all that may be shared is the name, address and date of birth of an individual, and other information to enable the Police Service of Scotland to satisfy itself of a person’s identity. When Ministers disclose information to the chief constable it is to be used only by constables of the Police Service of Scotland in connection with the chief constable’s functions under Part 1 of the Act, or for law enforcement purposes as defined in section 31 of the Data Protection Act 2018.
127.This power may, for example, be exercised by the Scottish Ministers when as a result of searching central records in connection with an application made for a disclosure, it appears that Ministers hold a more current residential address than that in central records for an applicant who is wanted by the police in relation to an arrest warrant.