Government data-sharing proposals dropped

Jack Straw wants more data to be shared between government departments

The government has confirmed that controversial plans to share public data between departments have been dropped, Justice Minister Michael Wills announced yesterday.

The controversial Clause 152 of the Coroners and Justice Bill faced heavy opposition in Parliament from the Liberal Democrats, Conservatives, and some members of the Labour party.

And with former home secretary David Blunkett raising concers over the plans as well, Justice secretary Jack Straw hinted last month that the clause could be dropped.

The government had originally claimed that the measures were implementing the recommendation of the data sharing review, compied by information commissioner Richard Thomas and Mark Walport of the Wellcome Trust.

But the ICO subsequently raised concerns over the bill, saying its " information sharing provisions would be significantly improved if they mirrored more closely the relevant recommendation of the Thomas / Walport Data Sharing Review."

After a fierce debate of Clause 152 on the second reading in parliament, the government has decided to drop it for good.

Wills said it was not a U-turn but the "proper process of parliamentary scrutiny".

"In this particular case it became clear that the powers were drawn too widely. We've therefore withdrawn them and we will be redrafting them and bringing forward the powers in future," he said.