Tuesday, 20 November, 2007
- 20 Nov 07, 06:30 PM
An Extraordinary Breach of Data Security ….
Two computer discs holding the personal details of all families in the UK with a child under 16 have .
The Child Benefit data on them includes the name, address, date of birth, National Insurance number and, where relevant, bank details of 25m people.
The Conservatives have described the incident as a "catastrophic" failure. The head of Revenue and Customs has resigned.
The Chancellor has blamed mistakes by junior officials at Revenue and Custom, who he said ignored security procedures when they sent information to the National Audit Office (NAO) for auditing.
An incredible lapse of data security but who is to blame, and was this an accident waiting to happen? Tonight we'll be joined by a Treasury minister to ask what the consequences will be for the Government, the Chancellor and the tax payer.
Newsnight's Lib Dem Leadership Debate
Tonight we have a live discussion between the two Lib Dem leadership contenders. After a rather sedate campaign, Nick Clegg and Chris Huhne clashed rather spectacularly on the ´óÏó´«Ã½ Politics Show on Sunday over a briefing document prepared by Huhne's team entitled "Calamity Clegg." Is Clegg really a "flip-flopper" as Huhne alleges? Are Huhne's tactics a sign of desperation? What would each offer British politics? Jeremy asks the questions.
France v Britain
Teachers, hospital workers, civil servants and students are all set to join railway workers in a wave of crippling strikes across France today. More bad news for the French, but are we too quick to be smug when we view the disruption across the channel? Who has the better economy and quality of life - Britain or France? …Allan Little investigates the facts, and asks which is the better model - the Anglo-Saxon or the French?