However, the MoD has contacted the banks of 3,500 individuals whose accounts were listed on the missing database and could now be open to fraud. Data on the computer also included passport details, national insurance numbers, drivers’ licence details, family details, doctors’ addresses and NHS numbers, the MoD said. The defence secretary, Des Browne, is to give a statement to the Commons about the latest in a series of losses of sensitive personal data held by government agencies.The information commissioner, Richard Thomas, has demanded assurances from the MoD that it is improving data security following the theft. He said he was concerned about the sensitivity of some of the data on the computer, particularly as it related to military personnel.The Conservatives and Liberal Democrats have said the theft raises further questions about the government’s plans for identity cards. The foreign secretary, David Miliband, said the government needed to convince the public it could be trusted to properly run the planned identity card scheme. Defence officials said yesterday the reason why so many names were kept on a single database, as well as any personal culpability behind the theft, were being investigated. The laptop was stolen from a navy recruitment officer’s car in Birmingham on January 9, but the theft was only disclosed on Friday.
Tags: chard, family, fraud, national insurance number, richard thomas, rth
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