Efficiency drive led to HMRC data loss, claims PAC boss

Efficiency drive led to HMRC data loss, claims PAC boss

PAC chairman Edward Leigh claims efficiency drive at HMRC led to sensitive data appearing on lost child benefit discs

edward leigh

The head of the government’s accounting watchdog claimed that efficiency
savings led to the taxman’s decision to send sensitive data on child benefit
claimants.

Edward Leigh, Public Accounts Committee chairman, said that providing the
child benefit information to the National Audit Office stripped of sensitive
data was found to be too expensive a process, and would involve payments to its
IT contractor,
reported
the FT
.

Chancellor Alistair Darling yesterday insisted that the merger of the Inland
Revenue and Customs & Excise, plus ensuing efficiency drive, was nothing to
do with the loss of the child benefit data.

The FT also reported that NAO boss Sir John Bourn said senior managers at
HMRC were also aware that the data would not be desensitised.

It had earlier been claimed that a junior member of HMRC staff had
unilaterally put together the data onto two discs and sent it via internal post
to the NAO.

Further reading:

Hartnett takes top job at
HMRC

HMRC’s data loss: what the papers
say

Tabloids lay into government over
HMRC data loss

Share

Subscribe to get your daily business insights

Resources & Whitepapers

Why Professional Services Firms Should Ditch Folders and Embrace Metadata
Professional Services

Why Professional Services Firms Should Ditch Folders and Embrace Metadata

3y

Why Professional Services Firms Should Ditch Folde...

In the past decade, the professional services industry has transformed significantly. Digital disruptions, increased competition, and changing market ...

View resource
2 Vital keys to Remaining Competitive for Professional Services Firms

2 Vital keys to Remaining Competitive for Professional Services Firms

3y

2 Vital keys to Remaining Competitive for Professi...

In recent months, professional services firms are facing more pressure than ever to deliver value to clients. Often, clients look at the firms own inf...

View resource
Turn Accounts Payable into a value-engine
Accounting Firms

Turn Accounts Payable into a value-engine

3y

Turn Accounts Payable into a value-engine

In a world of instant results and automated workloads, the potential for AP to drive insights and transform results is enormous. But, if you’re still ...

View resource
Digital Links: A guide to MTD in 2021
Making Tax Digital

Digital Links: A guide to MTD in 2021

3y

Digital Links: A guide to MTD in 2021

The first phase of Making Tax Digital (MTD) saw the requirement for the digital submission of the VAT Return using compliant software. That’s now behi...

View resource