WIREDGOV

Terms of reference for the Poynter Review

HM TREASURY News Release (133/07) issued by The Government News Network on 23 November 2007

The Treasury has published terms of reference for the Poynter Review, which will investigate security processes and procedures for data handling in Her Majesty's Revenue & Customs.

Terms of reference

To establish the circumstances that led to the significant loss of confidential personal data on Child Benefit recipients and other recent losses of confidential data and the lessons to be learnt, and in the light of those circumstances to examine:

* HMRC practices and procedures in the handling and transfer of confidential data on taxpayers and benefit/credit recipients;

* the processes for ensuring that these procedures are communicated to staff and the safeguards in place to ensure they are adhered to;

* the reasons why these failed to prevent the loss of confidential data;

* whether these procedures and processes are sufficient to ensure the confidentiality of personal data.

The review will report initially by 14 December on the exact circumstances and events that led to the loss of the Child Benefit data, taking account of the ongoing investigation by the Metropolitan Police. It will make interim recommendations on any further, urgent measures that HMRC should put in place to guarantee the confidentiality of personal data.

The review will also consider wider implications, reporting in the Spring and, in consultation with the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) and Information Commissioner, make recommendations on:

* how internal processes and culture can be strengthened to achieve appropriate data security in the future;

* whether HMRC's wider procedures for the handling of confidential data and liaison with other organisations should be changed to reduce the risks and how this might be done.

NOTES TO EDITORS

1. The Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Rt Hon Alistair Darling MP, announced the review in a statement to the House of Commons on 20 November.

2. Kieran Poynter is Chairman and Senior Partner of PricewaterhouseCoopers and will report to the Chancellor of the Exchequer. The review is being carried out with the knowledge and cooperation of the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) and the Information Commissioner.

3. Non-media enquiries should be addressed to the Treasury Correspondence and Enquiry Unit on 020 7270 4558, or by e-mail to public.enquiries@hm-treasury.gov.uk

4. This press release and other Treasury publications and information are available on the Treasury website at http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk. If you would like Treasury press releases to be sent to you automatically by e-mail you can subscribe to this service from the press release site on the website.