06.07.16
New bill will allow public authorities to share personal data
Public authorities will be allowed to share personal data with other public sector bodies in specific circumstances under the Digital Economy Bill, which the government introduced to Parliament yesterday.
The Bill will allow public agencies to share data with a valid reason, for instance through the Troubled Families Programme. Safeguards to protect data, including through the Data Protection Act, are still in place.
The Bill will also allow easier access to civil registration data such as births, marriages and deaths, which will help public authorities to avoid problems such as trying to contact deceased people.
The Bill is also intended to help detect and prevent government losses due to fraud, which costs £21bn every year, and collect money owed to the public sector, which currently stands at £24bn.