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They've got your number: State's hunger for personal data raises security fears Robert Verkaik There are increasing fears that Britain could suffer a repeat of the HM Revenue & Customs data loss as the scale and breadth of personal information held by government bodies continues to grow inexorably. As the police step up their search for the two missing Inland Revenue computer discs containing the banking and personal details of 25 million people, ministers have been warned that the potential exposure to theft and identify fraud could be present for many years to come. And in the most chilling assessment since the Government admitted the security blunder, the man in charge of setting up the country's biggest medical records database has said he does not believe it is possible to make such systems foolproof. Richard Jeavons, the director of IT implementation for the NHS, where there are plans to put 50 million patients' details on the database, told the Commons Home Affairs Committee that, when it came to protecting information, "you cannot stop the wicked doing wicked things".
Yesterday, as he faced a barrage of criticism over the Government's handling of the crisis, the Prime Minister performed a swift policy U-turn by announcing that Richard Thomas, the Information Commissioner, would be given new powers to carry out spot checks on the databases held by public sector organisations. As recently as 25 October, the Government rejected Mr Thomas's request for such a power in response to a Lords committee. It said then that "the current enforcement regime for data protection is fit for purpose". But yesterday an embattled Mr Brown appeared to relent, adding that he would also consider the commissioner's plea for the creation of a new criminal offence of "reckless disregard of data protection principles". He insisted: "We will do everything in our power to ensure data is safe." Mr Thomas welcomed the move, but said more would have to be done. "The law needs to be changed urgently so that people's personal details are properly protected," he said. "Privacy matters more than ever. It is not just about the law. It is about retaining the trust and confidence of the population where so much information is entrusted to government."
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