Electoral register details 'should not be sold'

Selling the electoral register to marketing companies is no way for local authorities to treat people's personal information and could even put them off voting, according to a report.

It said public confidence in how personal information was safeguarded was evaporating and called for a culture change in how organisations regard and handle personal data.

"It sends a particularly poor message to the public that personal information collected for something as vital as participation in the democratic process can be sold to 'anyone for any purpose,'" it added.

The report's authors, Information Commissioner Richard Thomas and Wellcome Trust Director Mark Walport, recommended that selling details of the register should be stopped.

Gordon Brown announced their review during a speech on liberty last October. Three weeks later, the government admitted that Revenue and Customs had lost the personal records of 25 million people on two data discs in the post.

"We were all slightly surprised . that changed the profile of our work and made our consultation probably much easier," said Walport.

"There needs to be stronger leadership and accountability in organisations that use and share personal information," he added.

The authors said companies handling or sharing large amounts of personal information should make sure a senior executive was responsible for dealing with it correctly.

They said the Information Commissioner should be given more resources, be given the power to conduct raids, and be able to punish organisations with high fines relative to their turnover.

Restrictions on the sale of the electoral register have long been called for by the Electoral Commission, responsible for promoting public confidence in the democratic process.

Marketing and directory companies at present can buy an edited version of the electoral register, which omits people who have ticked a box opting not to be included - about 40 percent of the public do this.

This edited version should be abolished, the report said.

Political parties, credit reference agencies and police would continue to have access to the full register, which the public can inspect under supervision.