Government database on children should be scrapped!

9.00.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Fri 22nd Feb 2008

The Liberal Democrats have repeated their call for the government database containing details on every child in the UK to be scrapped, following the publication today of an independent review into its security. Information about every child's name, address, their parents or guardians, as well as contact details for each government service they use, was going to be added to the ContactPoint database. The accountants' report says the database could never be secure. Lib Dems have attacked the Government for refusing to publish the full report.

This intrusive project should be scrapped. Ministers should have listened to what I and many organisations were saying when the plans were debated last July. The Government has proven itself untrustworthy with large databases containing sensitive data. Parents have every right to demand that when it comes to their children's personal details, the tightest security measures are essential.