Source: Daily Mail
Personal information detailing the lives of every person in Britain will be handed over to Town Hall bureaucrats in a new lurch towards the 'snooper state'. Under controversial plans unveiled yesterday, all public bodies will be able to request private details held by every Government department, agency or council.
The data will be transferred around the country in bulk, effectively creating giant databases of information.
It will sweep away data protection restrictions that require information to be used only for the purpose it was taken, such as limiting access to health records to the Department of Health.
Even low-ranking officials working for Town Halls could lay their hands on the most sensitive personal information, such as incomes and details of any benefits received. Critics give the examples of medical records being sent to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency to identify drivers who pose a health risk, or school attendance data being handed to the Department for Work and Pensions to verify benefit claims made by parents.
They warn that, as well as marking another step towards a Big Brother state, there is also a grave danger of personal information being misused or lost.
