| Treasury outlines remit of Poynter Review |
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| Friday, 23 November 2007 | |
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The Treasury has published terms of reference for the Poynter Review, which will investigate security processes and procedures for data handling in HM Revenue and Customs.
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. Poynter has been asked to establish the circumstances that led to the loss of confidential personal data on child benefit recipients and similar recent HMRC blunders. He will also advise on the lessons to be learned, 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 will form part of his remit, as do the reasons why these failed to prevent the loss of confidential data. The review is expected to make recommendations on whether these procedures and processes are sufficient to ensure the confidentiality of personal data. Poynter will report initially by 14 December on the exact circumstances and events that led to the loss of the personal data on 15 million children and 10 million parents, taking account of the ongoing investigation by the Metropolitan Police. He 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. It will make recommendations on how internal processes and culture can be strengthened to achieve appropriate data security in the future, in consultation with the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) and Information Commissioner. The Poynter Review has been asked to look at HMRC’s wider procedures for the handling of confidential data and liaison with other organisations. It will advise on whether these should be changed to reduce the risks and how this might be done.
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