Home Office loses data on criminals

Last Modified: 21 Aug 2008
Source: ITN

Personal details relating to thousands of criminals have been lost in the latest in a line of Government data blunders.

The Home Office said a computer memory stick containing information on 84,000 prisoners had been lost by a contractor.

PA Consulting warned the department on Monday that the stick might be lost.

A Home Office spokeswoman said: "We have been made aware of a security breach at the offices of an external contractor involving the loss of personal information about offenders in England and Wales.

"A full investigation is being conducted. Police and the Information Commissioner have been informed."

The Home Office said names and expected release dates and dates of home detention curfew for all 84,000 prisoners were contained on the stick.

In addition, the names, addresses and dates of birth of the 30,000 people with six or more convictions are included in the lost data, as are the names and dates of birth of the 10,000 offenders regarded as prolific.

There are also the initials of people on drug treatment programmes.

A spokesman from the Metropolitan Police hinted that the stick had been mislaid by an individual.

The spokesman said: "Officers from the Specialist and Economic Crimes Unit are currently meeting with PA Consulting to review the circumstances of the loss by their member of staff. There is no investigation at this stage."

PA Consulting had the data as part of research it was carrying out for the department on tracking offenders through the criminal justice system.

The company has a number of contracts with the Home Office, and it is understood that these will be examined in light of the data breach.

Opposition parties described the loss as a "massive failure of duty" and accused the Government of being unable to keep any information safe.

In December last year, Transport Secretary Ruth Kelly told MPs that information relating to 3 million learner drivers had been lost when a hard drive was stolen in Iowa.

Later that month HM Revenue and Customs admitted losing the details of 6,500 private pension holders and this year the Ministry of Defence said more than 100 memory sticks and 650 laptops had been lost or stolen since 2004.

Also this year, sensitive files relating to terrorism, drugs trafficking and money laundering were found on a train.

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