http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/10/18/falconer_flagpoles_dpa_reform/
"Government constitutional affairs secretary Lord Falconer has described the Data Protection Act as 'almost incomprehensible' and says that there are 'medium term' plans to simplify the Act and its treatment of personal information. The Act was brought in in 1998 by the then-new Blair government, but its near incomprehensibility seems not to have been a major issue at the time.
Today, the Information Commissioner's Office issued a statement saying it was unaware of any specific government plans, but that it would welcome any steps to to make it simpler to understand. A spokeswoman told The Register that describing it as almost incomprehensible was perhaps 'putting it a bit strong.'"
