"... or where appropriate statutory regulation is in place"
You do know that means civil servants have written a statutory order, it has been signed by the minister (might have to be Secretary of State) and it has been placed in Parliament for a week (no vote required). [Exact details may be wrong but that is the overall concept of statutory orders].
My comment is based on a general understanding of statutory orders/secondary legislation and there may be specific reasons why it doesn't apply in this case but it appears to me to be a significant hole in the text you quote that you may not have noticed.
I think "statutory regulation" just means there has to be a law allowing it ("statute" meaning law). From reading their website the other day, I got the impression that the case they had in mind was certain laws about containing contagious diseases, which could override privacy laws.
Reading on Wikipedia, "Statutary orders" and "statuatory instruments" seems to be particular ways of delegating law-making power from parliament. I don't think they are directly relevant here (since there has to be some enabling legislation)? But the section 251 thing already allows the Secretary of State for Health to disclose data, so if you are worried about ministers operating without parliamentary oversight, that is indeed possible....
You do know that means civil servants have written a statutory order, it has been signed by the minister (might have to be Secretary of State) and it has been placed in Parliament for a week (no vote required). [Exact details may be wrong but that is the overall concept of statutory orders].
My comment is based on a general understanding of statutory orders/secondary legislation and there may be specific reasons why it doesn't apply in this case but it appears to me to be a significant hole in the text you quote that you may not have noticed.