Keeping our details safe

As the Ministry of Defence and EDS, one of the government's favoured IT contractors, lose yet another unencrypted computer disk, containing details of bank accounts, passports, driving licences, family doctors and other information about 100,000 servicemen and women and 800,000 applicants to join the armed forces, we should recall the assurance given by Home Office minister Meg Hillier in the letters page of the Edinburgh Evening News (12 May):

"The level of security for the national identity register will match some military databases." Quite.

(DR) GERAINT BEVAN

Grovepark Gardens

Glasgow