Whistleblower launches legal action against Foreign Office – The Guardian

Posted February 19th, 2009 in government departments, news, terrorism, whistleblowers by sally

“The Foreign Office faces further scrutiny over controversial aspects of its ‘dangerous’ counter-terrorism policy after a sacked whistleblower yesterday announced that he was beginning legal proceedings against it.”

Full story

The Guardian, 19th February 2009

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Home Office guilty of data breach – BBC News

Posted January 22nd, 2009 in data protection, government departments, news by sally

“The Home Office broke data protection laws when a contractor lost a memory stick with information on thousands of prisoners, a watchdog has ruled.”

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BBC News, 22nd January 2009

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Government data sharing plan could extend to private sector – OUT-LAW.com

Posted January 16th, 2009 in data protection, government departments, news, privacy by sally

“A Government plan to allow more extensive sharing of personal data is not restricted to the public sector and could result in Government-collected information being shared with private companies, a privacy expert has said.”

Full story

OUT-LAW.com, 16th January 2009

Source: www.out-law.com

Big Brother database a ‘terrifying’ assault on traditional freedoms – The Independent

Posted January 15th, 2009 in data protection, government departments, news, privacy by sally

“Sweeping new powers allowing personal information about every citizen to be handed over to government agencies faced condemnation yesterday amid warnings that Britain is experiencing the greatest threats to civil rights for decades.”

Full story

The Independent, 15th January 2009

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Government failed to clamp down on data loss – Daily Telegraph

Posted January 12th, 2009 in data protection, government departments, news by sally

“Government departments have failed to tighten data handling rules despite losing 30 million personal files in two years, it has been disclosed.”

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Daily Telegraph, 12th January 2009

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Home Office reveals FOI policies – BBC News

Posted December 10th, 2008 in freedom of information, government departments, news by sally

“An email sent by mistake from the Home Office to the BBC has revealed that freedom of information requests are often first reviewed by ministers.”

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BBC News, 10th December 2008

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

New privacy row over lost data – The Guardian

Posted November 3rd, 2008 in data protection, government departments, news by sally

“The government was embarrassed by another data-loss scandal last night when the private details of up to 12 million people were put at risk after a memory stick was found in a pub car park.”

Full story

The Guardian, 2nd November 2008

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Lost data official to be charged – BBC News

Posted September 29th, 2008 in government departments, news, official secrets act, prosecutions by sally

“The Cabinet Office official who left top-secret documents on a train in June is to be charged under the Official Secrets Act, the BBC has learned.”

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BBC News, 29th September 2008

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Home Office loses confidential data on all UK prisoners – Daily Telegraph

Posted August 22nd, 2008 in data protection, government departments, news by sally

“The Home Office has lost confidential information on every prisoner in the country and more than 40,000 serious criminals sparking yet another Government data crisis. ”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 22nd August 2008

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Personal details of 4 million lost by Whitehall in just one year – Daily Telegraph

Posted August 20th, 2008 in data protection, government departments, news by sally

“Sensitive data for more than four million people was lost by Government departments in the past year, on top of the high profile loss of child benefit records.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph,

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Appropriation (No. 2) Act 2008

Posted July 22nd, 2008 in appropriation, government departments, legislation by sally

Appropriation (No. 2) Act 2008 published

Full text of Act (PDF)

Source: www.opsi.gov.uk

MoD admits loss of ‘secret’ files – BBC News

Posted July 18th, 2008 in data protection, government departments, news by sally

“The Ministry of Defence (MoD) admitted more than 650 laptops had been stolen over the past four years – nearly double the figure previously claimed.”

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BBC News, 18th July 2008

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Fraud: Whitehall ‘doomed to lose £1bn of benefit payments every year’ – The Guardian

Posted July 8th, 2008 in benefits, fraud, government departments, news by sally

“The Whitehall department fighting benefit fraud and error will always lose more than £1bn of taxpayers’ cash every year to cheats and through mistakes, the civil servant running the department tells MPs in a letter published today.”

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The Guardian, 8th July 2008

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

‘Muddle-through’ system blamed for loss of 25m benefit records – The Guardian

Posted June 26th, 2008 in data protection, government departments, news by sally

“The loss of 25m child benefit records, including bank details and sensitive personal information, was brought about by a ‘woefully inadequate system’ and was ‘entirely avoidable’, according to two reports published yesterday.”

Full story

The Guardian, 26th June 2008

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Lost child benefit records: Inquiry condemns ‘inadequate’ data handling – The Guardian

Posted June 25th, 2008 in data protection, government departments, news by sally

“The government was criticised today for the ‘woefully inadequate’ handling of sensitive data at HM Revenue and Customs that led to the loss of CDs holding the personal records of 25 million people.”

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The Guardian, 25th June 2008

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Annual report on freedom of information in central government – Ministry of Justice

Posted June 20th, 2008 in freedom of information, government departments, reports by sally

“Report on the operation of the Freedom of Information Act in central government in 2007, bringing together quarterly statistics and analysing longer term trends.”

Full report

Ministry of Justice, 18th June 2008

Source; www.justice.gov.uk

Secret files on stolen Blears PC – BBC News

Posted June 17th, 2008 in data protection, government departments, news by sally

“A personal computer holding sensitive documents relating to defence and extremism has been stolen from Hazel Blears’ constituency office in Salford.”

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BBC News, 17th June 2008

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Smith faces Commons summons to explain secret papers blunder – The Guardian

Posted June 16th, 2008 in data protection, government departments, news by sally

“The home secretary, Jacqui Smith, was last night facing a Commons summons to explain how another batch of secret documents were left on a train.”

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The Guardian, 16th June 2008

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Secret anti-terror documents ‘left on train’ – The Independent

Posted June 11th, 2008 in documents, government departments, news, terrorism by sally

“A police investigation has been launched after secret Government documents were left on a train, it was confirmed today.”

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The Independent, 11th June 2008

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Fraudsters hack into Home Office website – Daily Telegraph

Posted June 9th, 2008 in computer crime, government departments, news by sally

“Cunning computer hackers have hijacked the Home Office crime reduction website and used it to carry out an elaborate online scam.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 8th June 2008

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk