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We are entitled to be told the truth over missing discs
From: John Barrow, Station Lane, Birkenshaw. FOLLOWING huge police activity in searching private postal depots for lost CDs from HMRC, at last the ghastly truth emerges, as emerge it would always surely do.
There are probably dozens of similar "lost" discs. You could be forgiven for thinking that the average business would institute a system of signing for packets if it happened to them more than once.
Sending important Government CDs through the post, internal or otherwise, seems a foolish and incomprehensible way to manage public affairs.
Why does the Chancellor not tell us the truth?
In all matters of this type, it would appear that Government is pathologically incapable of simply holding up its hands, and saying: "Yes, we got the procedures wrong." We are entitled to better.
What is more, the fact that the Chancellor turned up in the House of Commons, blaming a "junior" official, is quite pathetic. Can we believe anything that he says?
From: Stephen Meredith, Great George Street, Leeds.
THE recent blunder by our glorious leaders in failing to protect the personal information of 25 million UK citizens surely must mean that the time has come for much stricter regulations to be put in place to ensure that all data holding organisations take their responsibilities more seriously.
If the Government can't be trusted to put 100 per cent watertight procedures in place, how can we have any confidence that the hundreds
of organisations that hold sensitive information about our lives are not being equally negligent when it comes to keeping it secure?
One sector that has taken the initiative is the card payment industry, which has a rigorous set of data security standards in place that apply to any organisation who wishes to offer payment facilities of the major credit card companies.
These companies are obliged to invest in the latest security technology, backed up with the most rigorous internal data handling procedures, which are then audited at least once a year. If companies fail to meet the standard, their payment processing facilities are suspended – meaning that their whole ability to trade is affected.
Worse still, if they are responsible for a leak of data, it could mean facing a six-figure fine as TJX in the US recently discovered.
While I am reluctant to over- burden industry with even more red tape, it seems to me that the PCI system provides a perfect model that could
be used across the board and give the public confidence that their identities are fully protected.
From: Phil Booth, national co-ordinator, NO2ID, Crawford Street, London.
WHEN, not if, the projected ID cards database is leaked, it will make the HMRC scandal seem trivial.
The scheme is designed to move data between government departments. That is what "identity management" means to this Government: they manage your identity, for their convenience and with utter contempt for your privacy.
Once all your personal information is captured under Home Office control, it could end up anywhere. It just cannot be secured.
Adding fingerprints to other confidential details won't secure the information that is on the ID database. Officials won't be using your fingerprint to unlock the information to pass it around. Biometrics will just make stolen data more valuable.
And when breaches do happen, you won't be able to change your fingerprint like you can an account number.
From: AW Briglin, Sefton Street, Hull.
IN view of the Government's utter incompetence in losing the personal details of 25 million people in the post, I suggest that if Gordon Brown insists on continuing with his reckless idea to get every citizen's details on to ID cards, the populace should refuse to cooperate en masse.
I, for one, will shun this dangerous idea completely. I would also want to see the fingerprints and DNA samples of innocent people erased from the databases. They have no business being there.
From: K Playford, Ennerdale Close, Wetherby.
THIS Government has spent billions installing computer systems in all its departments, usually including substantial sums to outside consultants. Presumably these people had the necessary expertise, including staff training, to justify their substantial fees.
However, following the astonishing revelations from HM Revenue and Customs of the lost discs containing the personal information of 25 million child benefit claims, it appears no one understands the necessity to make personal information "secure". Even a junior official has access to copy the database. Perhaps a junior official has already sent another copy to identify fraudsters. Would HM Revenue and Customs know if they were not told?
It is being suggested that the Chancellor should resign following this latest incident of incompetence in the extended Treasury. However, it is surely our Prime Minister, and the previous Chancellor for 10 years, who instituted departmental changes and oversaw the introduction of child benefits, who has the most questions to answer.
Tight controls needed on EU spending
From: Victor Watson, chairman,Yorkshire for a Referendum, Bramham, Wetherby.
THE news that the EU's accountants, the Court of Auditors, have refused to sign off the EU's accounts for the 13th successive year was so predictable that it has generated hardly any comment. But why isn't our Government demanding better controls over the way our money is spent?
According to its own figures, the EU loses 1m every working day to fraud. If this happened to a British public company, the whole board would have been sacked. But in Brussels normal rules just don't seem to apply.
In fact, the only person to lose her job at the European Commission has been Marta Andreasen, the brave whistleblower who exposed the amount of serious fraud taking place and was sacked for her pains.
The think tank Open Europe estimates that a staggering 57 per cent of the overall EU budget is open to fraud – 43.4bn up for grabs. The Court of Auditors' report highlights the need to reform radically the way the European Union operates.
But are EU leaders listening? No. Instead of sorting out Europe's glaring problems, the latest version of the EU Constitution, the proposed Lisbon Treaty, will give the EU even more powers and cost us even more.
We just can't go on like this, handing over more and more powers to a failing institution. Yorkshire taxpayers contribute 724.5m a year
to the EU, of which 57 per cent – more than 400m – is at risk of fraud. They deserve better. That's why we need to be given the chance to have our say on the EU Constitution through a referendum.
No defence for Browne
From: MK O'Sullivan, Victoria Street, Allerton Bywater, Castleford.
WITH regard to your leader column "Show us your medals, Des" (Yorkshire Post, November 24), the Defence Secretary must now be at the Patricia Hewitt and Margaret Beckett level of incompetence.
The five former defence chiefs made compelling and cogent cases in their assault on the Government spending on defence, and in the personal comments on Gordon Brown.
The fact that he did not attend defence briefings as Chancellor speaks for itself. Nobody would expect the UKto match American defence spending, but servicemen and women are entitled to expect modern and reliable weapons and equipment.
I recall Des Browne, the Defence Secretary, paying tribute to a soldier killed in action. He got the regiment and battalion concerned wrong.
Watching him answering questions about service accommodation and medical treatment was to see someone totally out of his depth and reduced to parroting spin lines; a bad joke. Gordon Brown could not show more clearly how little regard he has for the Armed Services by having Des Browne hold two Cabinet posts, namely Defence Secretary and Secretary of State for Scotland.
I have far more respect for the former Service chiefs than for any politician. They are proven men of patriotism, honour and integrity.
Give us our town back
From: Matthew Shaw, West End Road, Golcar.
KIRKLEES MC is probably a reasonably well run organisation, but apart from emptying my dustbin every Thursday morning, I'd hardly know it existed.
I believe this to be the sign of a good council, so I'm happy to make my local tax contributions.
My only real gripe with our dear council is its silly and irrelevant name. We've been lumbered with "Kirklees"since 1974. Its boundaries encompass Batley, Dewsbury and Holmfirth. Not wishing to belittle such places, Huddersfield is by far the greater part of Kirklees district, so why shy away from this fact?
Neighbouring councils are more sensibly named; Leeds City Council, Bradford Metropolitan District Council and so on. Even Calderdale Council has a name which reflects its geography.
So what's wrong with "Huddersfield and District", "Huddersfield Borough" or the impressive "Greater Huddersfield"?
I believe that many citizens of Huddersfield get irritated by the constant and inappropriate references to Kirklees when the name of our town (Huddersfield) should be used.
The road signs say "Welcome to Kirklees", but try and locate this mythical settlement on a road map and you'll fail. No wonder foreign juggernauts are always getting themselves jammed up narrow country lanes.
Can we have our town back please?
Prince's words of welcome
From: Arthur Quarmby, Underhill, Holme, Holmfirth.
YOUR fine photograph of the Queens Hotel (Yorkshire Post, November 23) reminded me of the classic City Square joke – "and with the Black Prince sitting up there on his horse, pointing at the station, and saying 'get out, while the going's good'." Was it not Wilfred Pickles during one of his Down Your Way visits to Leeds? Clearly only a Yorkshireman could have got away with saying such a thing.
Maverick cyclists bring danger to the pavement
From: SB Oliver,
Churchill Grove, Heckmondwike.
GEORGE Marsden was quite right about pavements needing to be free from the maverick cyclists (Yorkshire Post, November 21).
Recently, a cyclist doing
25mph downhill on the pavement killed a pedestrian coming out of his drive. He received a 12-month suspended sentence and 300 hours' community service. Why he wasn't charged with manslaughter is beyond belief.
Now, let us take a different slant on the case. If the unfortunate (now deceased) pedestrian had, instead, been reversing his car out slowly
and that cyclist (on the path)
hit the car and was badly injured or killed, the investigation would have been from an almost opposite stance and the insured car driver would have been under the spotlight from the start, waiting to hear if a prosecution was to be issued.
I just wonder if similar mitigating pleas (childhood/ behavioural/emotional etc) on behalf of a car driver would be viewed in the same light?
I doubt it very much. If cyclists can be to blame in accidents, then they should have mandatory insurance.
From: Richard Simpson, Cecil Street, Harrogate.
MANY pedestrians may echo George Marsden's concern over pavement cyclists. It appears to be open season on our pavements.
There is only one type of cyclist who should be allowed to use pavements and that is children. I have heard myriad excuses from adult cyclists justifying their use of the walkway and most of them are complete cobblers.
By far the most common one trotted out is along the lines that they cycle out of their concern for the environment and the roads are too dangerous.
Does the welfare of the pedestrian, to whom the pavement belongs, come into this smug self-righteous equation? Apparently not.
A responsible cyclist who was concerned both for the planet and his fellow mankind would get off and walk like the rest of us. You are more likely to spot a pig flying.
Sole searching and at a loss
From: Tony Wilding, Westfield Rise, Hessle.
IT seems that England cricketer Steve Harmison's cricket boots were lost in transit somewhere round about Sri Lanka (Yorkshire Post, November 22). Would it
be considered terribly flippant of me to suggest that some English Government department is in any way responsible for the loss?
Last straw
From: FR Henley, Seaton Ross, York.
IF the Government expects farmers to pay for disease control measures and new rules on nitrates (Yorkshire Post, November 19), then they must want to close down UK livestock farming.
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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