UK admits losing data of 3 million people*

Reuters
Monday, December 17, 2007; 1:15 PM

LONDON (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Gordon Brown's government
suffered new embarrassment over missing data on Monday when it revealed
one of its contractors had lost the details of 3 million learner drivers.

The revelation came weeks after the government admitted it had lost
computer discs containing the names and bank account details of 25
million people, exposing nearly half the population to possible fraud
and identity theft.

The opposition Conservatives accused the government of incompetence over
the data loss, the latest in a series of mishaps that have caused the
popularity of Brown's six-month-old government to plunge.

Transport Secretary Ruth Kelly told parliament a private contractor
reported in May that a hard disc drive had gone missing from a facility
in Iowa in the United States.

It contained the names, addresses and other details of more than three
million candidates for a theory test taken by learner drivers in
Britain. The disc drive did not contain any bank account or credit card
details, Kelly said.

"I apologize for any uncertainty or concern that these individuals may
experience," she said.

She also revealed that two discs containing the details of 7,500
vehicles and the names and addresses of their owners had been lost in
transit.

She announced steps to tighten up the security of personal data held by
government agencies.

Conservative transport spokeswoman Theresa Villiers said the loss was
"further evidence of systemic failure in the government's handling of
private data, evidence of a basic lack of competence by this government."

"Quite simply the government is failing in its duty to obey its own laws
on data protection," she said.

An opinion poll on Sunday showed Brown's Labor Party trailing the
Conservatives by the largest margin in more than 15 years.

A YouGov poll for the Sunday Times put Labor on 32 percent, 13 points
behind the Conservatives. Brown's personal rating has also slumped since
he took over from Tony Blair in June.

Finance minister Alistair Darling told parliament earlier there was no
sign that the discs containing the details of 25 million people had
fallen into criminal hands.

(Reporting by Adrian Croft, Sumeet Desai; editing by Robert Woodward)