Implicit 'forall' in data declarations

[Sebastian Fischer]

Hello,

GHC 6.12.3 allows to omit the explicit quantification of
higher-rank type variables using 'forall' in data types if they
appear in a type class context

     {-# LANGUAGE RankNTypes #-}
     data Foo = Foo (Eq a => a)

Is this implicit introduction of 'forall' intended? If it is, why
does it not work in function types? The following is not accepted
by my GHC:

     bar :: Eq b => (Eq a => a) -> b
     bar x = x

The error message is

     All of the type variables in the constraint `Eq a'
     are already in scope (at least one must be universally quantified  
here)
         (Use -XFlexibleContexts to lift this restriction)

Using `FlexibleContexts` the signature of `bar` seems to be
interpreted as

     bar :: (Eq b, Eq a) => a -> b

because then the error becomes

     Couldn't match expected type `b' against inferred type `a'

So unlike in data-type declarations, a 'forall' in a function type
must be written explicitly even if the quantified variable appears in  
a local type class constraint.

     bar :: Eq b => (forall a . Eq a => a) -> b
     bar x = x

I have not yet installed GHC 7. Is this inconsistency between data and  
function declarations intended or has it been changed in the new type  
checker?

Sebastian