Cameron attacks PM for 'systemic failings'
Wednesday, 21, Nov 2007 12:00
At a heated prime minister's questions this week, Conservative leader David Cameron attacked Gordon Brown for creating a department which has repeatedly exposed the public's personal information to identity fraud.
Chancellor Alistair Darling has been taking much of the flak since he was forced to admit yesterday that Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC) had lost two computer discs containing the full record of all child benefit recipients, as well as personal details such as bank account numbers.
The missing discs contain the highly personal data of 25 million individuals who claim child benefit from the government.
But rather than renew pressure on the embattled chancellor, David Cameron instead chose to focus his condemnation on Gordon Brown at PMQs today.
In 2005, as head of the exchequer, the prime minister was responsible for merging the Inland Revenue and Customs and Excise in 2005, forming HMRC as the single largest Whitehall department.
The move will result in 25,000 job cuts by 2011.
The Conservative leader alleged Gordon Brown had been the architect of systemic failings, which were brought to light yesterday.
Shouting across the floor, Mr Cameron said: "The prime minister was in charge of his department for ten years, by definition this must have been when the systemic failings occurred."
He referred to previous incidents where sensitive data had been lost or stolen, indicating that this latest event was not an isolated failing, but part of wider problems within HMRC.
The mishap occurred when a junior official within HMRC copied the entire child benefit database and sent it to the National Audit Office, an action that clearly broke government data protection regulations.
Referring to this member of staff, David Cameron questioned why a junior official was able to access such sensitive information.
The official, who has not been identified, copied the data on numerous occasions, it emerged.
Again, Mr Cameron suggested that systemic failures were the only explanation and called for the prime minister to accept responsibility.
The proposed ID card scheme also came under fire from the Conservatives, who alleged that this "appalling blunder" proved the government could not be trusted with personal information.