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ITN
Pensions data breach emerges
Pensions data breach emerges
HM Revenue and Customs has lost yet another package containing the personal details of thousands of people, it has emerged.Countrywide Assured has said a computer cartridge, with the personal pension details of 6,000 people, went missing in September after being signed for by HM Revenue and Customs at Ty Glas, in Llanishen, Wales.HMRC has said the data is unlikely to be at risk as it can "only be read by an IBM mainframe computer".However, Countrywide, who notified customers on December 13, said: "This does not guarantee that it could not be read if it falls into the wrong hands."Managing director Graham Kettleborough said the cartridge includes names, dates of birth and National Insurance numbers.HMRC spokesman Patrick O'Brien said: "PricewaterhouseCoopers is currently carrying out an independent review of data loss and HMRC is implementing additional measures to ensure that confidential data is transported and held safely at all times."The latest security breach comes as Gordon Brown's Government reels from Monday's announcement that data belonging to over 3 million of the UK's learner drivers has gone missing in the US.A hard drive disappeared from a "secure facility" at Pearson Driving Assessments Ltd in Iowa which contained names, addresses, phone numbers and email addresses but not any financial data such as credit card or bank account numbers.The breach was made known in June to the then minister Stephen Ladyman, who has since returned to the backbenches.It follows a report on the same day on the child benefit data loss when two computer discs containing sensitive information on 25 million people went missing in October.They contained names, dates of birth, bank and address details and have still not been found despite widespread police searches and the offer of a £20,000 reward for their return.Transport Secretary Ruth Kelly said she did not become aware of the latest incident until November 28 when an audit of her Department's security was carried out in the wake of the child benefit controversy.The records contained the learner-driver's name, postal address, phone number, the test fee paid, their test centre, a code indicating how the test was paid for and an e-mail address, she told MPs.But they did not feature bank account or credit card details, driving licence numbers, National Insurance numbers or dates of birth so individuals were not being informed.Ms Kelly also confirmed the loss of details on 7,500 vehicles - including the names and addresses of their owners - which went missing in the mail as they were transferred from Northern Ireland to the DVLA in Wales.Shadow transport secretary Theresa Villiers said the loss of the learner drivers' details "shows a systemic failure within the Government's data protection controls"."The words Labour and incompetence are now synonymous. Labour is failing in its duty to obey its own laws on data protection and failing in its primary and fundamental duty to protect the interests of the people it was elected to serve," she said.© Independent Television News Limited 2007. All rights reserved.
ITN | December 18, 2007
