Only six of the 46 public sector databases which hold
information on citizens have a proper legal basis, it was claimed
today.
Research commissioned by the Joseph Rowntree Reform Trust finds
that 11 government databases are almost certainly illegal under
human rights and data protection laws and should be scrapped or
substantially redesigned. The other 29 databases have "significant
problems and should be subject to an independent review".
The evidence for the claim is in a report, published today (23
March 2009), which was commissioned by the trust from the
Foundation for Information Policy Research.
The report provides the most comprehensive map of the UK's
databases.
In his foreword to the report, Lord Shutt, chairman of the
Joseph Rowntree Reform Trust, says: "Of the 46 databases assessed
in this report only six are given the green light. That is, only
six are found to have a proper legal basis for any privacy
intrusions and are proportionate and necessary in a democratic
society."
The report says that the government's flagship databases, such
as the DNA database, "Contactpoint" which makes data on children
and young people available online, and the NHS detailed care
record, are so flawed they should be scrapped or redesigned
immediately.
"The UK public sector spends over £16bn a year on IT. Over
£100bn in spending is planned for the next five years, and even the
government cannot provide an accurate figure for cost of its
'Transformational Government' programme. Yet only about 30% of
government IT projects succeed."
"We hope this report will help to highlight the scale of the
problem we are facing and inform the ongoing debate about the sort
of society we want to live in and how new information systems can
help us get there," said Lord Shutt.
The Rowntree Trust commissioned the study after the loss in
October 2007 of two CDs by HM Revenue & Customs. They contained
the personal details of 25 million citizens. Lord Shutt said, "The
millions of people affected by this data loss, who may have thought
they had nothing to hide, were shown that they do have much to fear
from the failures of the database state."
The government's response to the report, which is being
co-ordinated by the Ministry of Justice because it is responsible
for laws relating to data sharing, stops short of promising an
investigation into whether any of its databases might be
illegal.
A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said, "Delivery of efficient
public services and effective public protection are key functions
of government. "The government can and does fulfil these
responsibilities while never losing sight of its obligations under
the Data Protection Act and the Human Rights Act.
"This report presents no substantive evidence on which it bases
its assessments of privacy impact. The government takes its
responsibilities seriously and will consider any concerns
carefully, adapting existing safeguards where necessary," the
spokesperson said.
The Joseph Rowntree Reform Trust was founded in 1904 by the
Quaker philanthropist. It gives grants for political and
campaigning purposes, to help correct imbalances in power, and
promote democratic reform, civil liberties and social justice.
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