Personal data complaints soar

A huge increase in the number of complaints about how easy it is to access personal data will be revealed next week by the Freedom of Information Commissioner.

Elizabeth France, in her final annual report before stepping down in the autumn, will say she has seen a rise of more than 50 per cent in the number of cases referred to her.

The report is expected to show a jump from 8,875 "requests for assessment" in 2000-2001 to 12,500 last year. The number of complaints has doubled since 1999-2000. The report shows increasing concern over how easily data held by companies on people's creditworthiness is handed out to third parties.

Complaints have been received from people applying for information on their creditworthiness who have also been furnished with details about other people registered at the same property or with a similar name.

The report will prove embarrassing for the Government, which has been criticised for failing to open its files or introduce new freedom of information rules.

Ms France has written to about 300 MPs to remind them to register as "data controllers" under the 1998 Data Protection Act.

Several ministers who sit on the cabinet committee on freedom of information and data protection risk criminal charges for failing publicly to "notify" the data protection commissioner. MPs who keep constituents' personal data on a computer must register.