Data watchdog to have greater powers, says PM

Brown: ICO to have more powers

The Information Commissioner will be given powers to spot check government departments without their consent, Gordon Brown said today.

The announcement came following the revelation that 25 million child benefit records were lost after two cds went missing in the post.

At prime minister's question time today, Brown said that greater government transparency was needed.

"We will give the Information Commissioner the power to spot check government departments to do everything in his power to secure the protection of data," he told MPs.

Information Commissioner Richard Thomas has been lobbying government for extra powers for more than three years.

Sufficient resources will be crucial, according to Thomas.

"I welcome the Prime Minister’s announcement today that my staff will be able to spot check government departments - It is essential that we are properly resourced to carry out this new function," he said.

Breaches of the Data Protection Act should be made to be made a criminal offence, said Thomas.

"It is important that the law is changed to make security breaches of this magnitude a criminal offence. This would send a very strong signal that it is completely unacceptable to be cavalier with people’s personal information," he said .