This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/uk_politics/7104945.stm
The article has changed 21 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Ministers under fire over records | Ministers under fire over records |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| The government is braced for more criticism over the loss of two computer discs containing the personal details of 25 million people. | The government is braced for more criticism over the loss of two computer discs containing the personal details of 25 million people. |
| The CDs feature information such as names, addresses, dates of birth, child benefit and national insurance numbers, and bank account details. | The CDs feature information such as names, addresses, dates of birth, child benefit and national insurance numbers, and bank account details. |
| The discs were sent from HM Revenue and Customs to the National Audit Office by contract courier but failed to arrive. | The discs were sent from HM Revenue and Customs to the National Audit Office by contract courier but failed to arrive. |
| Banks have advised customers to monitor their accounts for signs of fraud. | Banks have advised customers to monitor their accounts for signs of fraud. |
| The chairman of Revenue and Customs, Paul Gray, has resigned. | The chairman of Revenue and Customs, Paul Gray, has resigned. |
| Unrecorded delivery | Unrecorded delivery |
| Chancellor Alistair Darling told MPs how the entire child benefit database was sent by a junior official from HMRC in Newcastle to the audit office in London through courier TNT on 18 October. | Chancellor Alistair Darling told MPs how the entire child benefit database was sent by a junior official from HMRC in Newcastle to the audit office in London through courier TNT on 18 October. |
| CHILD BENEFIT HELPLINE 0845 302 1444 | CHILD BENEFIT HELPLINE 0845 302 1444 |
| The chancellor said the official had broken the rules by downloading the data to disc and sending it by unrecorded delivery. | The chancellor said the official had broken the rules by downloading the data to disc and sending it by unrecorded delivery. |
| But he reassured those affected that police had no reason to believe the discs had found their way into the wrong hands, nor did they have any evidence of it being used for "fraudulent purposes or criminal activity." | |
| Bosses at the Revenue were not told about what had happened until 8 November and Mr Darling and Prime Minister Gordon Brown learned about the situation on 10 November. | |
| MISSING DATA INCLUDES... National insurance numberName, address and birth datePartner's detailsNames, sex and age of childrenBank/savings account details Q&A: Records lost | MISSING DATA INCLUDES... National insurance numberName, address and birth datePartner's detailsNames, sex and age of childrenBank/savings account details Q&A: Records lost |
| The chancellor said he had delayed an emergency statement to the Commons because banks and building societies had asked for time to prepare and make sure security procedures were in place. | The chancellor said he had delayed an emergency statement to the Commons because banks and building societies had asked for time to prepare and make sure security procedures were in place. |
| The officials involved waited before informing their superiors in the hope that the discs would be found. | The officials involved waited before informing their superiors in the hope that the discs would be found. |
| The Metropolitan Police is leading the hunt for the discs, and the Independent Police Complaints Commission, which oversees the HMRC, is investigating the security breach. | The Metropolitan Police is leading the hunt for the discs, and the Independent Police Complaints Commission, which oversees the HMRC, is investigating the security breach. |
| A TNT spokesman said that because the discs had not been sent as recorded it was not possible to verify if they had ever been posted. He added that the company would not be responsible for any losses incurred. | A TNT spokesman said that because the discs had not been sent as recorded it was not possible to verify if they had ever been posted. He added that the company would not be responsible for any losses incurred. |
| The chancellor said the Banking Code would protect the public from any fraud committed as a result of the loss. | The chancellor said the Banking Code would protect the public from any fraud committed as a result of the loss. |
| 'Serious issues' | 'Serious issues' |
| BBC News political correspondent Jo Coburn said that despite assurances from Mr Darling there were still serious questions about how this could have happened. | BBC News political correspondent Jo Coburn said that despite assurances from Mr Darling there were still serious questions about how this could have happened. |
| CHILD BENEFIT Available to the parents, normally mother, of every child in UK under 16Older children in full-time education still eligibleTaken up by almost 100%It amounts to £18.10 a week for a first-born childFor subsequent children - it amounts to £12.10 a week Timeline: Benefit records loss | CHILD BENEFIT Available to the parents, normally mother, of every child in UK under 16Older children in full-time education still eligibleTaken up by almost 100%It amounts to £18.10 a week for a first-born childFor subsequent children - it amounts to £12.10 a week Timeline: Benefit records loss |
| The position of the chancellor could come under threat if it emerged that the information had been used for illegal purposes, she added | The position of the chancellor could come under threat if it emerged that the information had been used for illegal purposes, she added |
| Jane Kennedy, Financial Secretary to the Treasury, acknowledged that mistakes had been made. | Jane Kennedy, Financial Secretary to the Treasury, acknowledged that mistakes had been made. |
| She told BBC News: "What happened was a clear breach of what is laid down in terms of the rules. | She told BBC News: "What happened was a clear breach of what is laid down in terms of the rules. |
| "I accept that there are very serious issues for us to address. That is why we are working so hard to address them. | "I accept that there are very serious issues for us to address. That is why we are working so hard to address them. |
| "This data should not have been handled in the way that it was. It should have been protected to a much greater level than it was." | "This data should not have been handled in the way that it was. It should have been protected to a much greater level than it was." |
| 'Accident waiting' | 'Accident waiting' |
| Shadow Chancellor George Osborne told the government to "get a grip and deliver a basic level of competence". | Shadow Chancellor George Osborne told the government to "get a grip and deliver a basic level of competence". |
| Liberal Democrat Acting Leader Vince Cable asked: "Where does the buck stop in this government?" | Liberal Democrat Acting Leader Vince Cable asked: "Where does the buck stop in this government?" |
| Professor Ross Anderson of Cambridge University's computer laboratory thinks the government's strategy of centralising information is too risky. | Professor Ross Anderson of Cambridge University's computer laboratory thinks the government's strategy of centralising information is too risky. |
| He said: "This was an accident waiting to happen and if it hadn't happened in this particular case it would have happened elsewhere." | He said: "This was an accident waiting to happen and if it hadn't happened in this particular case it would have happened elsewhere." |