UK Government proposes increased data sharing

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The UK Minsitry of Justice introduced in January 2009, in the House of
Commons the Coroners and Justice Bill which, among other things, amends the
Data Protection Act 1998 and enables increased personal data sharing among
governmental bodies.

The Bill empowers ministers to make orders that override data protection,
allowing the use for other purposes of information collected for a specific
purpose. Moreover, it gives the Secretary of State the right to remove “an
existing legal barrier to data sharing”.

“Rather than protecting our personal information, as it should be, the
government is cutting away safeguards for its own data-trafficking
convenience. This is a Bill to smash the rule of law and build the database
state in its place. Burying sweeping constitutional change in obscure Bills
is an appalling approach. Having proved – and admitted – they cannot be
trusted to look after our secrets, they are still determined to steal what
privacy we have left. Parliament needs to wake up before it has no say any
more,” commented Phil Booth, National Coordinator of lobby group NO2ID.

What basically the bill says regarding data sharing is that UK Government
will have the right to decide if and to whom personal data can be provided.

The Bill is a mix of several provisions, many unrelated, which will make
things difficult for the debates in the Parliament. The risk is that serious
issues may be passed without proper debate just because the Parliament may
lack the necessary time.

“This is the forty-eighth criminal justice bill under this Government and it
already amends provisions not yet in force from the last Bill, enacted only
eight months ago. Once again Ministers have produced a rag-bag of measures.
While some are welcome others, including the resurrection of plans for
secret inquests, we have serious concerns about,” said Shadow Justice
Secretary Dominic Grieve.

The Bill was voted at the Second Reading on 26 January 2009 to be sent to a
Public Bill Committee and is being now analyzed clause by clause.

Coroners and Justice Bill 2008-09
http://services.parliament.uk/bills/2008-09/coronersandjustice.html

Government grants itself even more data sharing power (5.12.2009)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/12/05/gov_grows_data_share/

Chaotic Coroners and Justice Bill reels into view (22.01.2009)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/01/22/coroners_and_justice_bill/

House of Commons Coroners and Justice Bill (14.01.2009)
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200809/cmbills/009/09009.1-5.html

Coroners and Justice Bill – destroying data protection (23.01.2009)
http://www.liberalconspiracy.org/2009/01/23/coroners-and-justice-bill-data-protection/