Packet Newspapers in Cornwall is challenging Cornish MPs to give their views on a decision by the county council not to supply school exam results this year.

The council says it has received Government advice to say it could be in breach of the Data Protection Act if it sends lists of school exam results to the local press without first finding out if pupils or their families have any objection.

The advice was not received until after students who had sat exams this year had left school - so it was not possible to consult them.

Comment columns in each of the four local editions of the Falmouth-based Packet Series challenge MPs Candy Atherton, Andrew George and Matthew Taylor to say whether they believed Parliament had ever intended that the Data Protection Act could be used to stop local newspapers publishing exam results.

The newspapers ask if this is "another example of over-zealous bureaucrats making a meal out of a new rulebook".

Publisher Terry Lambert said: "This is, in my view, bureaucracy gone mad.

"School examination results have been published every year in local newspapers for as long as I can remember. I can't believe that Parliament intended this Act to be used to suppress such innocent information and we have issued a public challenge to our local MPs to give us their views."

A letter from Cornwall county council to local newspapers said: "We realise it may be disappointing to your readers that schools are not able to supply you with exam results lists this year, but seek your understanding that we have to be cautious with regard to this legislation."

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