Was the loss of the two discs a "one-off" error as Gordon Brown states??

Question

Doesn't this demolish any notion that the loss of two computer discs containing the details of child benefit claimant was a "one-off" error.?
The Facts
2,111 security breaches in last year at HMRC.
41 HMRC laptops stolen in last year.
September 2005: Unencrypted CD-ROM with sensitive financial information lost in post.
HMRC said: We are urgently reviewing our procedures to make sure this type of incident does not happen again.
May 2007: 42,000 families tax credit and bank details posted to the wrong people.
Ministers told Parliament: HMRC take confidentiality very seriously and have robust procedures in place to protect information provided by claimants.
August 2007: HMRC Laptop stolen with 400 customers' ISA details from five companies.
HMRC said: HMRC places the utmost importance on the security of confidential material and we have in place very clear processes governing the handling of such material.

November 2007: 15,000 people's National Insurance details lost on CD-ROM.
HMRC said: 'We have also reviewed our arrangements and introduced safeguards to prevent this happening in future'

Patrick M
That's exactly what I keep asking! Just WHAT IS it going to take! Today I have posted a couple of letters to my local MP voicing my disgust and loss of confidence in the Government. My other half has done the same,he is so angry. My sister has also sent one,along with letters on behalf of her children. I urge all to do the same. Perhaps millions of letters in their post, voicing loss of confidence in the Government may encourage them to take notice....

Answer 1

And do you realise the most ironic thing Karen? If it wasn't for Government implementing the EU directive to deregulate the postal service in this country, which allowed TNT to cherry-pick the lucrative Government contracts that would normally have gone to the Royal Mail, this might not have happened...priceless!

Answer 2

Well I'm very sceptical of 'Mr Sceptic is great' if he really believes that a password protects a laptop from the attentions of an expert. How does he think the security services get their information?. This was total incompetence by the HMRC and there is no point in saying anything else. Darling and Brown will lie through their back teeth to cover this up.

Answer 3

It doesn't matter if it was a one off or not, the fact is they were trying to save money and should accept full responsibility for it. Something of that much importance shouldn't be sent through the post and I think just shows up the level of incompetence of this labour government.

Answer 4

Yes and no.

Yes, it was a one off error in that the government will try to ensure that something like this never happens again.

But no, in that mistakes will always happen, and will continue to happen. Laptops will always be stolen, but unlike the CD's the laptops have password protection that prevents anyone from gaining access to the information stored on them. Hopefully, no mistake on this scale will ever happen again.

Answer 5

So the government are completely incompetant morons, who care not one jot about REAL security issues, and only about imaginary ones which implicate "terrorists". Never mind the fact that just about half the people in the country's data is now almost certainly in the hands of criminal gangs. Where's the news? We all know politicians are self-serving incompetant imbeciles.

Answer 6

I would have been very surprised to find out this was a one off Karen. We all know what bungling idiots we have put in charge of running our country! The only surprise is he and his gang are still there, still causing mayhen and anarchy and the effrontery of the man, still he spouts his lies as if everything is rosy! Get them out!!!

Answer 7

i would like to know just HOW!! incompitent. ....how destructive.......and how hated and mistrusted do a government have to be before some one (for the sake of national security) forces them to stand down?? we have anouther couple of years of this.....can you imagin the further damage they could do in two years?.....my god i dont personaly think we can recover from the devastation the labour party have allready dealt us. two years down the line and we will be completely broken as a country! and a people.

Answer 8

How do we know, for in Government all is hidden from us until someone confesses or if a mole has been at work.

Answer 9

ah if this were only the fisrt time this has hapened... sadly it isnt... i remember someone leaving the battle plans for the (choose a war) on a laptop, in a car, which was then stolen...

stupid is.. as stupid does..

Answer 10

And they want to "safely store" my personal details for a national ID card. Not mine they wont!