Government launches controversial child database

Nearly a year after it was due to be implemented, Contactpoint, a database containing the personal information of every child in the UK, has launched.

The £224 million database has been designed to ensure doctors, nurses, social workers and police can liaise more easily when they suspect a child is at risk. Children’s secretary Ed Balls said it would prevent vulnerable children from “falling into the gaps between different services”.

However, privacy groups and opposition parties have warned that the database, which will be accessed by 330,000 workers, could put children at risk and should be scrapped.

Terri Dowerty, director of children’s right group Action on Rights for Children, said she was not convinced that local authorities had thought enough about security.

“We have been fighting for months for the Government to tighten up its security around this database,” she said.

“By looking at the guidelines given to these local authorities, it is clear more work needs to be done to protect children’s information.”

Contactpoint, which was due to be launched in April 2008, was created following a recommendation from Lord Laming who led the inquiry into the death of Victoria Climbié in Haringey, North London, in 2000.

It contains the name, address, date of birth, GP and school of all under-18s as well as the name and contact details of their parents.

However, there are concerns about the security of the data exacerbated by incidents such as the loss of computer discs containing the details of 25 million people by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC). In November 2007 these fears led to an announcement by Kevin Brennan, children's minister, that he would hold back the launch until October 2008.

In August 2008 it was put on hold yet again until the start of this year after ministers said the database needed more rigorous testing, citing problems with dropdown menus.

David Laws, Liberal Democrat children's spokesman, said despite these tests, the risks were still too high. "The intrusive and expensive project needs to be scrapped," he said.

"The Government has shown it can't be trusted with sensitive data. Parents have every right to demand that their children's personal details are not put at risk."

From today, the Government has said it will provide intensive training for two security-checked officials in each of the 17 chosen local authorities in the north west as well as two children's charities, Barnardo’s and the disability charity Kids. This training will include how to use the system and also information and education about security.

The Department of Children, Schools and Families, which is running the project, will then look at how well the trails went and iron out any problems before giving the rest of the 150 local authorities across the UK access in the summer. Security training for these authorities will be given at a later date.

Phil Booth, national coordinator of civil liberties campaign group No2ID, said: “More needs to be done to ensure these people have been properly briefed on security.”

He said despite Mr Balls' reassurance that no case information would be held on Contactpoint and it would be impossible to download its contents, children could still be exploited.

“You've got an address book of every child in the country, one in which the most vulnerable children are highlighted," he said.

“It's pure insanity. It's just a complete reverse of child protection.”