Privacy watchdog to get new powers

Office will be given ability to spot check central government

The UK privacy watchdog will be given power to spot check government departments by the end of the year, according to Information Commissioner Richard Thomas.

Currently the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) can only examine the government's data sharing and data protection policies with a department's consent.

But Gordon Brown has given consent that the ICO will be able to carry out checks on government departments and will increase the office's funding, said Thomas.

"The Ministry of Justice is soon going to bring forward proposals on inspection powers and increases in funding," he said. "We hope to be inspecting government departments later this year."

Meanwhile the ICO has announced that since the security breach at HM Revenue and Customs in November last year which saw the government lose the personal details of 25 million families, 94 more serious breaches have occurred, in public and private sector organisations.

A third occurred in central government and associated agencies and a fifth in NHS organisations. Half of the breaches reported in the private sector were reported by banks.

"It is particularly disappointing that the HMRC breaches have not prevented other unacceptable security breaches from occurring," said Thomas.