Oh dear it seems that private details of a number of childminders, including home addresses, have been published in error on HMRC’s Childcare Service website.
The details, which have since been removed from the website (which providers and parents must access for Tax-Free Childcare and the 30 hours) appeared on its 'Search for a Childcare Provider' page, despite the fact childminders had not given their permission for the data to be published.
HMRC removed the facility from their website to correct the error, following complaints from affected childminders.
A spokesperson for HMRC is quoted by NurseryWorld:
"We have temporarily closed the childcare provider checker, as there was an issue with the system. Our suppliers – NS&I and Atos – are working to rectify this and will re-open the childcare provider checker once it is working as it should. Parents and providers can continue to apply through the service."Neil Leitch, chief executive of the Pre-School Learning Alliance, was unimpressed:
"It is completely unacceptable that confidential childminder data, including details of home addresses, was published on the Childcare Service website, and those affected are absolutely right to be angry at this breach of privacy.I thought HMRC always claimed that it zealously protected taxpayers' privacy??
While we recognise that HMRC is now working to resolve this issue, it never should have happened in the first place, and it certainly shouldn’t have taken so long for HMRC to finally acknowledge that something had gone seriously wrong.
With Tax-Free Childcare already in effect, and just two months until the roll-out of the 30-hour offer, we are still receiving regular reports of problems with the Childcare Service website from both parents and providers. This simply isn’t good enough. Government needs to get a grip on this policy and fast, and so we hope HMRC will be looking to review and address these ongoing issues as a matter of priority."
Tax does have to be taxing.
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Anything from HMG over this, if not, why not?
ReplyDeleteAnyone apologised yet as above
WTF? YCNMTSU!
Does anyone in there understand the law, their responsibilities uinder the law, or better still does anyone in there know what the fuck they are doing?
HMRC do not do apologies, They just don't.
DeleteOh yes they do!
DeleteExamples being Hairnet being told to by his Political Masters and also believe there was one after the 2 Discs fiasco.
The HMRC cover-up operation will spring into action (it always does) but this most serious breach of the Data Protection Act appears clear and for ONCE the guilty parties must be held to account. HMRC are a disgrace.
ReplyDeleteAny data breach by a public sector organisation is a serious matter, but this department has form for covering up criminal breaches and allowing the crooks to walk away scot free.
Crimes are crimes, and the guilty must face JUSTICE however long it takes.
This data breach has clear implications for safeguarding issues and I would have though a Ministerial Statement should be made to outline what is being done about it?
When HMRC lacks moral fibre to the point of law breaking and yet simultaneously goes round acting as those they are the nation's moral guardians, these things are bound to happen.
ReplyDeleteWe need answers on this. Somebody must be held individually accountable up to and including potential dismissal and prosecution. And then HMG need to tell HMRC senior management to cut out the moral superiority crap and concentrate on complying with the law; something HMRC continually fail to do while sneering at the majority of citizens who do. My question to HMRC would be how can they have any credibility as a 'law enforcement agency' when they break the law time and time again? You really could not make this up!
Add this crime to the list...violence, bullying etc. HMRC and their staff misconduct have a lot to answer for.
ReplyDeleteHere here. But as they believe they are above the law. They will investigate themselve and come to the "correct" outcome.
ReplyDeleteYes they always do...corruption and more corruption...somebody needs to a grip of HMRC, it went beyond silly a long time ago...
DeleteA PLEA...
ReplyDeleteIf there is anyone out there with the ability to join the dots, the compassion to understand the problems and issues and a genuine desire to do something about it...
Please feel free to do so, as I and many others on this site have tried and failed for years to have HMRC and its 'managers' brought to book.
We used to have a Civil Service that was the model for the rest of the world, politically independent, relatively free of corruption, dependable and trustworthy with a workforce proud to be there, albeit on less pay than the private sector, but then we did have job security and a reasonable pension in exchange.
WTF happened?!
It seems that Gordon Browns famous Frankenstein train crash of a merger between HM Customs and Excise and The Inland Revenue coincided with everything else that went wrong with our environs e.g.
Huge Porkies from politicians regarding WMD etc.,
Corruption at all levels in the public and banking sectors,
Total abscence of responsibility,
Incredible lack of interest by the tax paying public wrt the wholesale wasting of public money e.g. IT, buildings ownership and management,
Poachers protecting the flock (tax advisors 'running' tax policy and tax departments,
Worst of all, and using HMRC as an example is the total lack of adherence to criminal and civil law in relation to H&S, Equality etc. across the board.
So there is the challenge, I, and others, have been as high as possible and been umable to motivate the politicians into action, perhaps someone out there can?
PLEASE!!!
HMRC corruption is a very serious problem and its long overdue that something is done about it. History shows us that people should never give up the fight for truth and justice. The fact criminal and civil laws have been broken and little or nothing done about it demonstrates the governance and discipline systems are broken beyond repair. The government should appoint a group of professionals independent from HMRC, say private investigators and a firm of solicitors, to get in there and restore some trust via justice and the guilty being brought to book.
ReplyDeleteStill no ministerial statement on this? Anything from Jon Thompson? Anything from the media/communications team? Silence. HMRC are not holier than thou, as most educated people long ago realised, and people should be very careful about allowing them to have confidential person data.
ReplyDeleteHMRC breaking data protection law is sadly not an isolated law. In one instance an HMRC manager committed serious criminal offences. This 'person' was not prosecuted and shockingly not even investigated for the crime. It happened in the full knowledge of the most senior management in the Department and HMRC's so-called Human Resources unit. I fail to understand what was in it for them to enable a relatively low level manager evade justice from the rules which rightly exist to protect people in the UK. If that doesn't fit the description of corruption then I don't know what does. In fact, the cover-up could be deemed equally, if not more, serious than the original offending.
ReplyDelete