An open letter to Stephen Williams MP

Dear Stephen Williams, 

I'm sorry my e-mails to you are like Bristol buses; nothing for ages, but then a whole bunch of them arrive - it's not my fault - it's the government's. 

Anyhow, this time I'm writing because I've become concerned about one of the clauses buried in the Coroners and Justice Bill. Part 8 of the bill makes amendments to the Data Protection Act; clause 152 sets up "Information Sharing Orders" which allows ministers ("a designated authority") to "enable any person to share information which consists of or includes personal data". The extent to which an Information Sharing Order blows away protection of privacy is clear from 50B (1) (b) which says "An information-sharing order may— ...remove or modify any prohibition or restriction imposed (whether by virtue of an enactment or otherwise) on the sharing of the information by that person or on further or onward disclosure of the information". Please take the time to read this part of the bill; please help to make sure it gets discussed fully in parliament; please help vote it down. 

Yours sincerely, 

Roger Shepherd