The Tories say they will slash the number of mammoth databases holding public information and curtail surveillance if they come to power at the next election.

The Tories also want to introduce a new data security standard for firms to help prevent data breaches in the future.

Shadow justice secretary Dominic Grieve has published a new policy paper - Reversing the Rise of the Surveillance State - which he says will protect the public's privacy.

The Tories will:

• Scrap the National Identity Register and the ContactPoint children's database
• Establish clear principles for the use and retention of DNA on the National DNA Database, including ending the permanent or prolonged retention of innocent people's DNA
• Restrict and restrain local council access to personal communications data
• Strengthen the audit powers and independence of the Information Commissioner
• Immediately submit the Home Office's plans for the retention and access of the public's communications data to the Information Commissioner
• Task the Information Commissioner to carry out a consultation with the private sector on establishing guidance on data security, including examining the viability of introducing an industry-wide kite mark system of best practice

Grieve said, "As we have seen time and time again, over-reliance on the database state is a poor substitute for the human judgement and care essential to the delivery of frontline public services. Labour’s surveillance state has exposed the public to greater – not less – risk."

Jamie Cowper, director of EMEA marketing at data encryption firm PGP Corporation, said, “It’s interesting that the Tories want to give the Information Commissioner greater powers to punish organisations which flout data protection legislation, but the proposed best practice guidelines will be equally important if organisations are to prevent the data breaches of tomorrow."

Cowper said, "While some sectors, such as the financial sector, have been relatively quick to self-regulate and develop guidelines on how to keep data safe, in other sectors such procedures have been sorely lacking."

The Tory policy document can be viewed here