---

Department for Transport Data Storage and Use

I draw the hon. Lady's attention, yet again, to the facts of the case. She talked about her bank, but there were no bank details involved in this instance. The data lost were the names of individuals, their addresses, their telephone numbers and, where provided, their e-mail addresses. I take every instance of data loss seriously, which is why I asked the Information Commissioner to review the entirety of this case, how it had been handled, what security measures had been put in place and to assess the risk to the public. He made it clear that he did not think that the facts as he knew them meant that the loss represented a substantial risk to a significant number of people. I apologise to those who have concerns as a result of the loss, which is why I thought it also appropriate that the Driving Standards Agency develop an advice line, to which people can turn if they are worried about the data loss and, indeed, to ensure that direct.gov.uk, the website, had information for those people. The important point is whether we have put the matter right and whether we are learning the right lessons for handling data both in the Department for Transport and its agencies, and across Government, so that we can share information appropriately and ensure that it is adequately protected. The hon. Lady suggests that we should minimise the handling of personal information and not have large databases of personal information, but if people are asked whether they want to sort out their MOT or their tax affairs online, they probably would do so. Data handling is becoming more complex by the year, and indeed by the month. The important point is achieving the correct balance between the need for personal privacy and the desire and expectation on the part of the public that we provide a top-quality service. The hon. Lady also mentioned specific cases that have come to attention in the last couple of weeks. It is true that there was an incident concerning the DVLA and the details of just over 1,000 individuals, which was due to a manual error. Procedures have been put in place that will minimise the risk of that occurring again. It is also the case that the Northern Ireland Driver and Vehicle Agency sent information by post that was subsequently mislaid by Parcelforce. I have asked my officials to examine whether plans to merge the two databases in Northern Ireland and Swansea could be accelerated in the light of the recent incident. The important point is that Ministers and the Government learn the lessons and ensure that people are appropriately protected in future.