COUNCILLOR CALLS FOR COUNCIL DATA CONTROLS TO PROTECT KIRKLEES RESIDENTS (Kirklees Liberal Democrats)

Kirklees Liberal Democrats <info@kirkleeslibdems.org.uk>

COUNCILLOR CALLS FOR COUNCIL DATA CONTROLS TO PROTECT KIRKLEES RESIDENTS

December 4, 2007 8:26 AM

Councillor calls for council data controls to protect Kirklees residents

Councillor Nicola Turner (Lib Dem, Colne Valley ward) is calling on the Leader of Kirklees Council to lay down clear rules on procedures for sharing data. Cllr Turner also wants the Council to set up a central register listing what information the council has to share with other organisations, so that in future it will be easy to see how safe residents' details are.

These calls follow the news that the personal details of 45,000 benefit claimants in Kirklees were lost after the Council gave disks to a government courier.

Cllr Turner said "Following the loss of local residents' data, the Council must now take every step possible to safeguard our personal information and reassure residents."

A series of questions will be put to Cllr Light at tomorrow's (Thurs 5th December) Council meeting, asking for more information about data sharing and action to keep track of data transfers in future.

Cllr Turner said: "I accept that the Council was following the rules laid down by the government in this instance. However, it appears we have no central register of what data is being sent where. I don't believe we have a central protocol for how data should be sent, or how it should be protected.

"I know the Council has to share huge amounts of information with outside bodies, and we need to be sure that we know what information is being sent where. We have been trusted with information by local people, and we must put in place the systems to allow us to anticipate any problems in future."