Call for data protection review

The vetting of Ian Huntley by police is already under scrutiny

The Conservatives have called for an urgent review of guidance on the Data Protection Act to prevent further deaths this winter.

British Gas said the act prevented them telling social services they had cut the supply to an elderly couple, who were later found dead.

The act was also blamed by police who said it prevented them passing on details about Ian Huntley's past.

The government said it was already working to clarify the guidance.

But it denies the work by several departments amounts to a review of the law.

The whole point of these regulations is to protect people's privacy, it is not to put their lives in danger John Reid, Health secretary

Health Secretary John Reid said: "If there are data protection regulations that prevent people's lives being saved there's obviously something wrong.

"So obviously we and the other departments concerned will look at that because the whole point of these regulations is to protect people's privacy, it is not to put their lives in danger."

Further deaths

Conservative health spokesman Tim Yeo said an urgent review was needed, to help energy companies interpret the law and prevent further deaths this winter.

George Bates, 89, and his 86-year-old wife Gertrude died after their gas supply was cut off because of an unpaid £140 bill.

British Gas said data protection laws stopped them from passing on the information to social services, and they had no way of knowing the couple were vulnerable.

Mr Yeo said the government should see if energy companies "can point out bits of the guidance which they believe prevent them from passing on information, and that could be changed very quickly."

Information Commissioner Richard Thomas, an independent monitor of the laws, has already said details could have been passed on if the disconnection had posed "a significant risk".

'Difficult and serious'

Despite his call for action in cases like that of Mr and Mrs Bates, the Tory health spokesman said concerns raised over the handling of the Soham case were more complex and required greater consideration.

It emerged last week that Humberside Police failed to keep records about a string of previous sexual allegations against Ian Huntley.

Mr Yeo said he would not be happy for records to be kept of all people who had sexual allegations made against them, adding that "very, very difficult and serious " issues were at stake.

The interpretation of the act by police is already being looked at as part of a Home Office investigation into failings in the vetting procedure which allowed Soham murderer Huntley to be employed at a school.

Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir John Stevens has said police forces were interpreting the act in different ways and the Home Office is now said to be considering issuing new guidance to all police forces.