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Lib Dems call for data guardians

Kable

Published: 21 Aug 2008 09:17 BST

The Liberal Democrats want to create 'data guardians', charged with protecting the information rights of the consumer and the citizen.

The proposal is part of a documented plan aimed at safeguarding all personal data, in the wake of a number of government data-protection failures and what the party described as a "depressing climate of disrespect for the security of our personal information".

Data guardians and other staff with specific responsibility for data security would be introduced into the public and private sectors, to provide an independent voice and ensure the rights of individuals were given adequate protection.

The data-protection minister, currently Michael Wills MP, would have new powers to echo that independent advocacy within the heart of government, according to the Liberal Democrats document.

The document states that the lack of regard for the position of data-protection minister was highlighted following the loss by HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) of 25 million child-benefit records in November last year, when Wills said that he first heard about the incident in a statement by the chancellor.

Funding for the information commissioner would double under the Liberal Democrats' proposals, and the information commissioner would have new investigative powers to conduct spot checks on data controllers, as well as being charged with ensuring that the regulatory system keeps pace with technological change.

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The document points out that Kieran Poynter's report into the failures at HMRC shows that the data loss happened not because of the actions of a lone employee who failed to follow rules, but because of a culture of data mismanagement.

The Liberal Democrats would require public-sector organisations to conduct 'privacy impact assessments' when developing new e-governance projects.

The document states this is desirable, not only because such assessments help to ensure that services and systems are compliant with the Data Protection Act and other applicable laws, but also because they can help to promote a better understanding of personal privacy.

Baroness Miller, the Liberal Democrats' home-affairs spokesperson, said: "The government is collecting more and more information about us, but seems utterly incapable of keeping it safe."

"We will ensure only essential data is stored and that proper systems are in place to prevent its loss or misuse," added Miller.