‘Data guardians’ appointed in HMRC to improve data security

By Isabelle Chaize

The Treasury this week revealed the appointment of seven ‘data guardians’ across all areas of the Customs and Revenue department.

The newly created role involves monitoring the handling and transfer of data throughout the department. According to Jane Kennedy, financial secretary to the Treasury and MP for Liverpool Wavertree, the guardians have been given support including ‘awareness events, written material and access to additional support and guidance of departmental security specialists’ and HMRC will fund any further training judged to be necessary as time goes on.

The move comes as the Treasury continues to put into practice the recommendations of the Chancellor of the Exchequer regarding data security, made after the loss last November of two discs containing the personal data of 25 million people by HMRC. The data on the discs, which were being sent to the National Audit Office, included personal details of child benefit claimers.

Anne McGuire said that following the loss, ‘rigorous courier arrangements and a requirement that the physical transfers of data must have the specific authority of a member of the senior civil service’ had already been put in place.

The discs were lost in Tyne and Wear, which has been given two of the new guardians. 24 of the new appointments are in London, with the rest in various regional offices.