Home Office Loses Confidential Data On All Uk Prisoners

[P.K.]

There is a very big difference between collators cards, designed to collate information about crime or potential crime, versus, the wholescale collection of information regarding the daily monitoring and activities of innocent citizens - as well you should know with your background.

Wrong. Collators cards were about people as well. But you are right that the wholescale collection of everything gives some cause for concern. Especially for those who are looking to commit crime or terrorist acts. But it's worrying that the likes of Osama Bin Liner have us all being viewed as potential criminals or terrorists. However as I posted previously you have to get a balance between public safety and protecting the rights of the individual.

 

Is does not seem to me to be a very safe working practice for the Government to collect masses of data about the public. You cannot trust them not to abuse the situation let alone act responsibly.

To me this is the most telling point. Previously the watchers were pv'd to cabinet level and so forth. Now it seems that any minor Scribbling Servant can legally access all sorts about perfectly innocent folks for no other reason, it seems, than they can.

 

For me this means that the all important balance is currently wrongly biased towards the state, local councils, dog fouling operatives or whatever.

[Cronky]

Previously the watchers were pv'd to cabinet level and so forth. Now it seems that any minor Scribbling Servant can legally access all sorts about perfectly innocent folks for no other reason, it seems, than they can.

 

Quite so. Information was on a 'need to know' basis. The right information got to the right people, via a chain of command. Now every Tom, Dick and Harry sees our information and we have a wierd form of institutional anarchy, chaos or whatever you like to call it.

 

The only way I see this being improved is through a massive shake up of the civil service for which the UK needs a change of government.

 

The 'protecting the public' argument is a pure red herring in my view. My chances of being killed in a terrorist attack are so small I never even think about it. Anyway, life is too short to spend it fretting about personal safety. There has to be a balance in these matters and it is sorely missing these days.

 

Right, off to watch the practice!

[Theodolite]

The beauty about the Isle of Man is that we don't need all this data protection type laws because it would be totally useless and half the Civil Service would be sacked or pensioned off! All such information is bandied about around the tea table, the golf club and in the pub. etc. It seems.

 

Recently a senior member of the judiciary was heard to proclaim* that........ "the Island is so small, we know when someone is guilty before a case comes to trial"

 

 

 

 

 

*(fact)

[manshimajin]

This cock-up is a great advertisment for PA Consulting. Wonder if heads are rolling there?

[Cronky]

The beauty about the Isle of Man is that we don't need all this data protection type laws because it would be totally useless and half the Civil Service would be sacked or pensioned off! All such information is bandied about around the tea table, the golf club and in the pub.

 

Gossip is one thing. Data is another issue. People do not gossip about PIN numbers, credit card numbers, criminal record data, passport records, child benefit data etc. etc. Data Protection laws are for just that - protection of all the digital records of your life that Government and industry collect on you these days. Data falling to the wrong hands can be much more incriminating than a bit of bad skeet.

 

(By the way, if you think the Isle of Man is a gossipy place then try living in one of the smaller Hebridean Islands to the north . . . )