ContactPoint Early Day Motion

Via Terri Dowty:

" You might want to ask your MP to sign up to this Early Day Motion

CONTACTPOINT
29.11.2007

Brooke, Annette

That this House notes the announcement by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families of the deferral of the implementation of ContactPoint to allow for an independent assessment of its security procedures by Deloitte and to address the changes to ContactPoint that potential system users have suggested, but regrets that this review will not extend to the design and content of ContactPoint; expresses concern over the safety implications of such a vast database containing potentially sensitive information in the light of security breaches at HM Revenue and Customs; further expresses concerns about the projected costs of ContactPoint; notes the conclusion of the House of Lords Select Committee on Merits of Statutory Instruments that the Government has not conclusively demonstrated that a universal database is a proportionate response to the problem being addressed; and therefore calls upon the Government to reconsider its decision to proceed."

Good for her. Meanwhile some people have been writing to the Guardian on the same subject.

"The planned database containing the details of all 11 million children in England should be suspended because it is insecure and will put children's safety at risk, an alliance of independent school heads and privacy campaigners warns today.

In a letter to the Guardian, influential groups representing private schools, together with the human rights campaign Liberty, say it is "ludicrous" that the government intends to push on with the controversial ContactPoint database project while awaiting the outcome of a new security analysis of the system."