Carmichael challenges minister on data loss

Orkney and Shetland MP Alistair Carmichael. 

A call has been made on Home Office ministers to stop “dodging questions” over major data loss from police databases.

Isles MP Alistair Carmichael has spoken after over 400,000 records were lost nationally due to “human error”.

Outdated software has been reportedly to blame for the error.

Mr Carmichael, the Home Affairs spokesman for the Liberal Democrats, said: “The Times is reporting today that the Home Office was warned in July 2019 that police databases were kicking and that they operated on end of life, unsupported hardware and software.

Responding for the government, the Policing Minister, Kit Malthouse MP said: “We have been working quite hard over the last year or so to get the technology projects in the Home Office – the National Law Enforcement Data Project and indeed the new communications network for the police – back on track.”