Government scraps controversial data sharing plan

Straw: I understand people's anxiety

The government has scrapped controversial plans to increase data sharing across the public sector.

Justice minister Jack Straw has bowed to widespread criticism of proposals to introduce measures that would amend the Data Protection Act (DPA), and allow the use of Information Sharing Orders that overturn the principles of the DPA to enable data collected for one purpose to be used elsewhere.

The plan was to have been included in the Coroners and Justice Bill currently going through the House of Commons, but Straw said the relevant clause has been withdrawn to allow further debate.

"Absolutely no part of the purpose of this legislation was to extend a Big Brother society - quite the reverse - but I understand people's anxiety," Straw told The Observer. "I have never had a piece of legislation that was not improved by public debate during its passage through parliament."

Straw will instead ask the Information Commissioner to lead a public consultation on the issue so that public bodies can share information where there is a clear benefit – for example, previous reviews have highlighted the many different agencies that need to be informed when someone has died.

The U-turn follows sustained criticism of the measures from the medical profession, the BCS, and even the Information Commissioner himself who said the proposed powers were “too wide”.