Labour calls for an investigation in Serco over “alarming” data privacy breach after email addresses of 300 contact tracers are shared
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Labour has demanded an investigation after a mistake by outsourcing
firm Serco led to the email addresses of almost 300 contract
tracers being shared. Last week, Shadow Chancellor of
the Duchy of Lancaster Rachel Reeves raised concerns about the lack
of transparency in contracting out aspects of the coronavirus
response, and apparent poor performance of outsourcing specialists
brought in to carry out key aspects of the...Request free trial
Labour has demanded an investigation after a mistake by outsourcing firm Serco led to the email addresses of almost 300 contract tracers being shared.
Last week, Shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Rachel Reeves raised concerns about the lack of transparency in contracting out aspects of the coronavirus response, and apparent poor performance of outsourcing specialists brought in to carry out key aspects of the Coronavirus response - including testing, contact tracing, and coordinating the manufacture and distribution of Personal Protective Equipment to hospitals and care homes.
Now, Reeves is calling for urgent Government action over the blunder to restore public confidence in the contact tracing operation which is a key part of the fight against coronavirus.
Serco is training staff to trace cases of Covid-19 on behalf of the Government. The outsourcing giant made the error when it sent an email to new trainees informing them about training.
In a letter (full text below) to her opposite number Michael Gove, Rachel Reeves has called him to publish details of the coronavirus contracts handed to Serco and the impact of the data breach including:
· The consequences
Serco will face for the breach · The assurances the government
has been given that Serco can be trusted with the data of its
workers and the public · The details of the contracts handed to
Serco, and on what basis the company was chosen to run vital
elements of the Government’s Co…
In her letter, Reeves said she was “alarmed” by the data breach and that it was “particularly troubling that a company that is being trusted with some of the most sensitive work in our national effort against the virus seems to struggle with the most basic aspects of data privacy”.
She also warned Serco’s prominent, role in the delivery of contact tracing was a cause for concern given the Serious Fraud Office’s 2019 investigation into Serco and because of the questionable performance of Serco’s existing contracts with the Home Office and the Department for Work and Pensions.
Rachel Reeves MP, Shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, said:
“To ease the lockdown restrictions, a proper system of test, trace and isolate needs to be in place. The Government needs to make sure it is, and that the public have faith in it.”. “It has never been clear what expertise or specialist knowledge Serco can bring to contact tracing. It now appears that they are struggling to implement even basic aspects of data privacy.
“We need some clarity from the Government about why and how Serco came to be awarded this contract; and we need reassurances that the contract tracing programme is in safe hands. “The Prime Minister has promised it will be up and running by the 1st of June; if we are to ease lockdown safely, then it is essential that the Government gets this right."
Ends
Notes to editors:
Full text of the letter:
Dear Michael,
I am writing to you again, further to my letter of 14th May.
In that letter, I raised a number of concerns about the role of outsourcing specialists in delivering key parts of our response to the Coronavirus, the lack of transparency around the value and details of the contracts involved, and in particular the ability of those companies to carry out essential work to the required standard.
One of the issues raised was around Serco, who have a prominent role in the delivery of contact tracing. As I signalled in the letter, Serco’s involvement in this task was already a cause for concern – in particular given the previous Serious Fraud Office’s 2019 investigation into Serco, and also because of the performance of Serco’s existing contracts with the Home Office and the Department for Work and Pensions.
An effective system of contract tracing relies on a high level of trust and public confidence. People need to be willing to share their personal information, in order for us to be able to locate who they have been in contact with and by extension who is at risk of spreading the virus further.
Therefore, any fear that information will not be secure or may be used in relation to issues around immigration status or benefits claims threatens to compromise our effort to trace, and contain, the virus.
Given these pre-existing concerns, I was alarmed to see reports yesterday that Serco had inadvertently shared the names of 300 contact tracers over email. It is particularly troubling that a company that is being trusted with some of the most sensitive work in our national effort against the virus seems to struggle with the most basic aspects of data privacy.
It seems fair to expect that any organisation handling sensitive personal data should have watertight data control and security practices and protocols across the whole organisation. Surely government should have assessed the organisation’s capability to maintain the highest levels of data security before awarding such a contract.
Given that Serco are refusing to refer themselves to
the ICO in relation to this breach, please could you
explain:
· By what process
will this breach be investigated? · What sanctions, if any, will
be applied to Serco? · What assurances has Serco been able to
offer that the company can be trusted not only with the data of
its own workers, but also of the general public? · What
conversations have you had with the…
Without an effective system of contact tracing, our efforts to contain this virus, minimise loss of life, and gradually ease the lockdown will be severely compromised. Without trust in the process and in those charged with delivering contact tracing, there is no chance that it will succeed.
I look forward to your response, to the queries contained within this letter and in my original letter of 14th May regarding contracts to Serco, Deloitte, Edenred and others. Now, more than ever, it is vital that the public can have confidence in government.
Yours sincerely,
Rachel Reeves |