THE GOVERNMENT LOSES THE ADDRESSES AND PHONE NUMBERS OF THREE MILLION LEARNER DRIVERS - BBC | Telegraph | Times
This just in from CCHQ on the latest data loss:
"Government must now come clean on overseas data centres
Following the news that the personal data of 3 million driving learners has been lost by DVLA contractors in Iowa, United States, Conservatives are demanding that the Government publish a list of all the ‘processing centres’ used by the Government outside the UK and outside Europe.
The Data Protection Act 1998 states that personal data should not be sent outside the European Economic Area unless “adequate protection” is in place. Conservatives are calling on the Government to conduct an urgent audit and publish a public list of every government department, agency and their contractors which are processing data outside the United Kingdom and the EEA, and what measures are being taken in each case to maintain data security.
Nick Herbert, Shadow Secretary of State for Justice, said:
"The public will be rightly concerned that their personal data can be sent abroad without proper protection. The Government must now come clean and publish the list of every overseas data processing centre and what measures are being taken to ensure robust security. The public have a right to know.
"It beggars belief that in the 21st Century, such sensitive information is not being transferred securely.""
Theresa Villiers' statement: "This latest debacle shows a systemic failure within the Government's data protection controls. The words Labour and incompetence are now synonymous."
Theresa said this incident must spell the end for Labour's proposed national road pricing scheme: "How can the public possibly trust this incompetent department with information on every journey made by the 33 million vehicles on Britain's roads?"
It just gets worse and worse...and it almost seems as if they simply don't care!
Posted by: Sally Roberts | December 17, 2007 at 18:30
Ruth Kelly, just resign. As the government likes to say when things are going the way of the pear, you are not "fit for purpose".
Posted by: chrisblore | December 17, 2007 at 18:34
Quite staggering, One more point on the data protection act:
"Appropriate technical and organisational measures shall be taken against unauthorised or unlawful processing of personal data and against accidental loss or destruction of, or damage to, personal data."
Posted by: Dave | December 17, 2007 at 19:10
I gather there is some more embarrassment for the Government as it has been found that the Home Office has been employing illegal immigrants as security guards.
Posted by: Iain | December 17, 2007 at 19:13
Memo to CCHQ: please can we stop "Beggaring Belief"? It's tired and cliched (though admittedly an improvement on "gobsmacked").
In fact, we can all too readily believe the latest data-blunder; a better line might be derived from Brian Blessed's anguished performance as Augustus in I, Claudius:
"Is there ANYONE in Rome who has NOT slept with my daughter?"
If we characterise every mis-accounting for paperclips as "a monstrous scandal beyond all description" we'll be a bit short of shot in the locker for anything really serious in the New Year.
Posted by: Teesbridge | December 17, 2007 at 19:19
I fail to be shocked any longer, this whole government has lost any semblance of control over itself and it's departments. They are devoid of intellect,purpose, and direction.
For God's sake why can't they just download themselves onto the world's biggest dvd drive and burn themselves to oblivion, consigned to an archive readable only by 22nd. century geeks.
Posted by: Curly | December 17, 2007 at 19:40
Goodness me, they seem to be going from one scandal after another. The incompetence of Brown and his cliche really is beyond a joke now.
Posted by: rightsideforum | December 17, 2007 at 21:50
Is Theresa Villiers, Shadow Transport Secretary, on strike? We never hear from her. With Boris in hiding, who is standing up for motorists and passengers in London?
Posted by: Moral minority | December 17, 2007 at 22:41
At the next PMQs, could David Cameron not simply ask for a CD with the names of all the people in Britain, whose data has not been lost by the government?
We could then print an A4 poster of names of those who have no need to worry.
Posted by: Serf | December 18, 2007 at 06:20
Maybe Im wrong here but I think this dates back to May, so its before Brown. I wonder why its taken so very long for the Government to announce it?
Regarding Villers, I caught her jousting with Ruth Kelly yesterday in the Commons.
Northern Rock news today. [The Government] has offered to cover any loss by financial institution which provides money to Northern Rock so the bank can operate normal banking services. BBC has just announced it on the website.
Posted by: James Maskell | December 18, 2007 at 09:23
Ruth Kelly, just resign. As the government likes to say when things are going the way of the pear, you are not "fit for purpose".
Rather unfair, I think - Ruth Kelly wasn't Transport Secretary when this happened, and even if she had been it wouldn't have been her fault.
The fault lies surely in government departments farming out responsibility for this sort of thing to the most competitive (i.e. "cheapest") bidder.
Now remind me, which party was it which promoted introducing competition into state organisations in the 1980s and 90s? I'm not opposed to privatisation per se, obviously it can bring many benefits if done well, but we are still paying the price for the folly of removing responsibility from experienced people who knew what they were doing, had been doing for decades, and giving it to any old cowboy who can undercut them. Our railways are another perfect example.
Posted by: Vernon | December 18, 2007 at 09:36
Absolutely Teesbridge. Very little 'beggars belief', and government losing data is an everyday occurance so I can well believe it!
Nick Herbert seems to me to be a great guy but he seems to feel that whenever he speaks a great oration is called for. He needs to relax a little and learn to speak a little more like normal people do.
Another terrible, terrible day for Gordon Brown and his government of incompetents.Poor Britain!
Posted by: Malcolm Dunn | December 18, 2007 at 09:38
I would be calling for Ruth Kelly's resignation, were it not for the fact that she'll just end up in another ministerial post screwing different things up instead.
Posted by: Letters From A Tory | December 18, 2007 at 09:44
"Rather unfair, I think - Ruth Kelly wasn't Transport Secretary when this happened, and even if she had been it wouldn't have been her fault", said Vernon.
Irrelevant.The woman is a disaster.
Posted by: William | December 18, 2007 at 10:50
One question I haven't heard asked is: Why is Government data of British nationals being stored off shore, no doubt under the sovereignty and laws of another country?
Surely this has serious implications on a number of levels, starting with data security and being able to determine the laws under which the information is held?
Posted by: Iain | December 18, 2007 at 10:57
Nick Herbert ought to look at Capita's role in this fiasco. Rod Aldridge, Capita's former Chairman, was caught up in the loans for honour scandal.
I am rather amused/bemused by Theresa Villiers' belated contribution at the bottom of the main piece. Drivers' interests and rights are key part of her brief. She has held the transport portfolio for several months and we have yet to see a new policy. I doubt whether she is up to the job, worse than even the hapless Ruth Kelly. Taxi for Villiers!
Posted by: Moral minority | December 18, 2007 at 11:43
INFLAMMATORY COMMENT OVERWRITTEN BY THE EDITOR.
Posted by: Nigel Twocock | December 18, 2007 at 11:51
Surely it's about time that the Data Protection Commissar took action and instituted legal action against the government on behalf of those individuals whose data has been lost.
If the HSE can undertake a ridiculous prosecution of the MET, the the DP chief has very relevant grounds.
Posted by: George Hinton | December 18, 2007 at 12:00
Oh, in passing, I thought Theresa had returned to Brussels, such is her impact, and didn't realise she was a shadow!!.
Posted by: George Hinton | December 18, 2007 at 12:03