MP Says Data Loss by Revenue was “Inexcusable”

Tags: data loss | Press Release | tax

Wednesday, 25 June 2008 00:00

Pendle MP, Gordon Prentice, has warned the loss of child benefit records by the Revenue and Customs must never happen again. “What happened was inexcusable.” Last year, the personal and bank details of 25 million people, including virtually every child in the country together with their parents and carers, were lost by HM Revenue & Customs. The two disks have never been found. The MP spoke out after hearing the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Alistair Darling, tell the Commons today that an independent inquiry led by Kieran Poynter, the Chairman of PricewaterhouseCoopers, had found the loss to be “entirely avoidable”. The MP quizzed Darling on the role of the civil servants designated to deal with data protection issues. “What were they doing? Were they asleep on the job? And has anyone been reprimanded or disciplined?” The Chancellor pointed to the resignation of Paul Gray, the former chairman of the Revenue, who stood down on 20 November last year as the scale of the blunder became apparent. Speaking after the Commons Statement, the MP said: “The State holds sensitive data on each and every one of us and it is simply unacceptable for this information to be treated in a cavalier way. It is confidential and should stay so.” “I hope lessons have been learned.”

Last Updated ( Wednesday, 08 October 2008 09:40 )