The British Council breached the Data Protection Act after the loss of an unencrypted disk containing personal information relating to trade union membership of more than 2,000 members of staff, according to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO).

An undertaking to keep personal information secure in future has been signed by British Council chief executive Martin Davidson. The undertaking included an agreement to encrypt all portable and mobile devices that are used to store and transmit personal information from now on.

Mick Gorrill, assistant information commissioner at the ICO, said: “The British Council proactively reported the breach to the ICO and took immediate remedial action, which demonstrates its understanding of the seriousness of this data loss.

"The organisation also agrees to ensure that its policies on the transfer and sharing of personal information on portable devices are clear and compliant with government standards," he said.