Britain:Gordon Brown sought to contain the damage to his reputation and that of his government yesterday by apologising for the unprecedented loss in the post of the personal data of 25 million people across the UK.
With chancellor Alistair Darling deluged under headlines proclaiming millions at risk of ID fraud thanks to "mind-blowing incompetence", the British prime minister said he profoundly regretted and apologised for "the inconvenience and worries" caused by the loss of the entire child benefits database following a breach of procedures, apparently by a junior Revenue official.
Mr Brown made his pre-emptive apology before a bruising encounter with Conservative leader David Cameron, who said the Labour government had "failed in its first duty, to protect the public".
Mr Brown resisted when Mr Cameron asked if he felt any personal responsibility, confirmed that no ministers had offered their resignations over the affair, and added "nor should they". The prime minister said Mr Darling had done "an excellent job" both as a former minister at the treasury and now as chancellor.
But Mr Cameron sought to link Mr Brown directly to the fiasco, citing organisational changes, making the complex child benefits system a Revenue responsibility and job cuts alongside the data breach - repeated not twice, but three times - as evidence of "systemic failure" in a department over which Mr Brown himself had presided as chancellor.
Labour MPs roared approval when Mr Brown countered that the Conservatives had supported cuts in Revenue resources and staff. But Mr Cameron hit back, saying that, on a day when government had lost the details of 25 million people, "to try to blame the Opposition is frankly pathetic".
The Tory leader visibly stung Mr Brown when he suggested people wanted to see their prime minister "stand up, show some broad shoulders, be the big man and take some responsibility".
Acting Liberal Democrat leader Vince Cable asked Mr Brown if he now accepted the "wisdom of Tony Blair" that the treasury under Brown "had become too powerful, was unfit for purpose and should be broken up". Mr Brown dismissed suggestions ministers were complacent as he confirmed a security review in all government departments and announced - in a reversal of a previous decision - that information commissioner Richard Thomas would now be given powers to carry out spot checks on departments to ensure they were doing everything to ensure the privacy and protection of information given to them.
However, Mr Cameron said people would find it "bizarre and weird" if this episode did not at least cause Mr Brown to "stop and think" about his plan to introduce ID cards, suggesting they would see him as "a prime minister who tries to control everything and can run nothing".
Edward Leigh, Tory chairman of the public accounts committee, said the National Audit Office had asked for only basic details but was told this would be "too burdensome". He suggested "these decisions were therefore taken at a high level".