Launch of controversial child database delayed
Anil Dawar writes in The Guardian:
The launch of a controversial new government database containing details of every child in the country is to be delayed for technical reasons, it was revealed today.
ContactPoint, a £224m computer system carrying personal information about all under-18s, was due to come online in April this year. It will now be delayed until January next year, children’s minister Kevin Brennan said today.
This is the second time the index’s start date has been put back. Concerns over data security following the loss of child benefit details by HM Revenue and Customs forced officials to delay its coming online from April to October.
Officials from the Department for Children, Schools and Families said that the delay was not about “security” issues, but user issues such as drop-down menus.
The spokeswoman said: “We are working hard to iron out glitches before it goes out to users. This is not about security issues.”
David Laws, the Lib Dem children’s spokesman, condemned the whole project. “Instead of delaying the launch of the database, this intrusive project must be scrapped altogether.
October 30th, 2008 at 14:40
well done to this bunch of idiots
a child of three will probably be able to hack in so what about the perverts
or will the government just ask them not to hack in please because its naughty