The U.K.’s Data (Use and Access) Bill, passed into law on June 19, promises a £10 billion boost to the economy and aims to simplify access to healthcare and make policing and other services more efficient for consumers. Businesses, however, must understand the changes and compliance managers will need to ensure that data processing policies and systems are up to date and that complaints procedures for data controllers are in place.

Ruth Prickett graduated from Cambridge University with a BA hons in History and has specialized in business and finance journalism for the past 20 years. She was editor of Financial Management, the magazine...