logo
MoD to ‘robustly defend' compensation claims from Afghans in data breach case

MoD to ‘robustly defend' compensation claims from Afghans in data breach case

A spokesman for the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said the Government would 'robustly defend' any legal action or bid for compensation, adding these were 'hypothetical claims'.
It has also been reported that the MoD will not proactively offer compensation to those affected.
The data breach, which saw details of 18,714 applicants for the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (Arap) scheme released in 2022, prompted an unprecedented gagging order amid fears the Taliban could target would-be refugees for reprisals.
It also saw the establishment of a secret scheme, the Afghanistan Response Route (ARR), to bring some of those affected to the UK.
But the MoD spokesman pointed to an independent review which found there is now little danger that appearing on the leaked spreadsheet would be enough to result in being targeted by the Taliban.
Hundreds of data protection claims are expected to be lodged, with the High Court hearing earlier this week that a Manchester-based firm already had several hundred prospective clients.
Previous Afghan data breaches led to the MoD compensating people whose details were leaked.
Earlier this month, before the superinjunction preventing reporting of the 2022 leak was lifted, armed forces minister Luke Pollard announced £1.6 million in compensation for a separate incident involving the release of Afghan nationals' data.
Mr Pollard said the MoD had agreed to pay up to £4,000 to each of the 265 people whose details were mistakenly copied into emails sent by the Government in September 2021.
That breach also saw the Government fined £350,000 by the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO).
But the ICO has said it will take no further action in relation to the larger 2022 breach, with Information Commissioner John Edwards saying there was 'little we could add in this case' given the 'high degree of public scrutiny' the MoD was already facing.
In total, the Government expects 6,900 people to be brought to the UK under the ARR scheme, with costs reaching £850 million.
Along with the Afghan nationals, the breach saw details of more than 100 British officials compromised, including special forces and MI6 personnel.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

UK and India to sign trade deal during Modi state visit
UK and India to sign trade deal during Modi state visit

ITV News

time28 minutes ago

  • ITV News

UK and India to sign trade deal during Modi state visit

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi's state visit to the UK will see the signing of a landmark free trade deal. It is expected to see £6 billion invested into the UK economy and create 2,200 jobs, making it the largest deal of its kind for economic impact on Britain. Tariffs on a range of British goods will be reduced from an average of 15% to 3%, in hopes of boosting imports into the south Asian nation. Whisky tariffs will be slashed in half, and are expected to fall further over successive years. Soft drinks, cars and cosmetics will also see cheaper duties. Prime Minister Keir Starmer will meet with Modi on Thursday to sign off on the deal. Before his meeting with Modi to confirm the deal, Starmer said: "Our landmark trade deal with India is a major win for Britain. "It will create thousands of British jobs across the UK, unlock new opportunities for businesses and drive growth in every corner of the country, delivering on our Plan for Change. "We're putting more money in the pockets of hardworking Brits and helping families with the cost of living, and we're determined to go further and faster to grow the economy and raise living standards across the UK." Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said the investment will "reach all regions and nations of the UK so working people in every community can feel the benefits". The Prime Minister and his Indian counterpart also agreed ahead of their meeting to ramp up joint efforts to tackle corruption, fraud, organised crime and illegal migration, by sharing criminal records and other intelligence. The deal promises some benefits to the UK's financial services, but not as much as the Government would have liked. It is understood that talks continue regarding a bilateral investment treaty aimed at protecting investments in both countries. The two nations also continue to discuss UK plans for a tax on high-carbon industries, which India believes could hit its imports unfairly. The deal has been in the works for years. Negotiations first began in 2022 under Boris Johnson, and were concluded in May this year. Labour sought to portray closing the deal, as well as trade agreements with the US and the EU, as evidence of the Government's pragmatism and global outlook. But shadow business secretary Andrew Griffith said it had only been made possible "because of Brexit delivered by the Conservatives". He added: "Any trade deal that can successfully cut regulation which stops Britain's makers from creating new jobs and wealth will be a step in the right direction. "But the irony should not be lost on anyone that any gains from this trade deal will be blown out of the water by Angela Rayner's union charter, stifling business with red tape, the jobs tax and, come autumn, Rachel Reeves' inevitable tax hikes that will punish Britain's makers just to reward those who do not contribute." The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) has said that the signing "sends a powerful signal that the UK is open for business and remains resolute in its commitment to free and fair trade". Chief executive Rain Newton-Smith added: "A trade agreement with India - one of the world's fastest-growing economies - is a springboard for long-term partnership and prosperity. UK firms can take advantage of this new platform to scale, diversify and compete on the global stage." Starmer is facing calls to raise the case of detained blogger Jagtar Singh Johal with Modi. The Scottish Sikh has been detained in India since 2017, and is accused of being a member of the Khalistan Liberation Force, which is banned as a terror group in India. His family say he is being arbitrarily detained, with his brother Gurpreet Singh Johal insisting the matter should be "high on the agenda when the prime ministers meet".

Use offices or lose them, Eluned Morgan tells Welsh government staff
Use offices or lose them, Eluned Morgan tells Welsh government staff

BBC News

time28 minutes ago

  • BBC News

Use offices or lose them, Eluned Morgan tells Welsh government staff

The Welsh government "can't justify continuing to hold offices open if people don't turn up" to work in them, First Minister Eluned Morgan has aim to have staff working from the office two days a week, or 40% of the time, but in March daily office attendances averaged 16%, and just 9% at a "main hub" in Merthyr Welsh government has about 5,700 staff spread across 20 sites, and is holding a review of office requirements in Powys "partly because of the change in the way that people work", Morgan said. The Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) said "we have no reason to believe the current arrangements are not working". The 15 "core offices" include the main hubs of Cathays Park in Cardiff, Rhyd-y-Car in Merthyr Tydfil, Rhodfa Padarn in Aberystwyth, Ceredigion, and Sarn Mynach in Llandudno Junction, Conwy running costs are £24.5m, according to latest five offices and premises are located across Wales "to ensure a dispersed presence and to ensure that services can be delivered to meet business needs", the Welsh government added "most staff continued to work remotely during 2023-2024. The evidence being that a higher proportion are doing so on a regular basis". Independent MS Russell George raised concerns in the Senedd last week about the future of the office in Newtown, office had the highest average daily percentage attendance in March at 22% - 17 said it was important to have government offices across Wales "because those offices and the staff who work there support shops and services in towns as well".He added: "It is important to employ and retain people who live in mid Wales to make the Welsh government more reflective of the needs and requirements of all people, from all communities across Wales."Morgan replied: "We are having a review at the moment, partly because of the change in the way that people work."It is important that we encourage people to come into work; we are encouraging them to come in. "But, clearly, there will come a point where you have to say 'if you don't turn up, we cannot justify keeping this particular office open'.The review of the Powys offices, in Llandrindod Wells and Newtown, is due to be completed by the end of September. The attendances at other offices in March included:Cathays Park, Cardiff - 19% (576 staff)Caernarfon, Gwynedd - 17% (17)Aberystwyth, Ceredigion - 15% (42)Llandrindod Wells, Powys - 12% (13) Llandudno Junction, Conwy - 12% (49)Penllergaer, Swansea - 10% (34)Carmarthen - 10% (33)Merthyr Tydfil - 9% (55)The average daily attendance in January and February was 15%. The Welsh government's latest State of the Estate report, for 2023-24, published in May, said it "looks back on a year where our offices remained under occupied as staff continued to work remotely". "This is being addressed by an ongoing increase in the amount of spaces now allocated to public sector tenants. "More of our spaces are being used as public sector hubs while Welsh government staff adopt a hybrid model of working."It continues, "the need for staff to be dispersed across Wales constrains opportunities for further office closures, however options to 'right size' is actively considered through development of business cases, investment appraisals and consultation with staff and trade unions as opportunities, such as break clauses or lease terminations, arise".It cites the example of the office at Grosvenor Road, Wrexham, which was vacated when its lease came to an end in January 2024, relocating staff into a smaller, single unit also in Wrexham. The report also said an empty office block at Picton Terrace, Carmarthen, was surplus to requirements and being marketed, and "uncertainty about long-term working patterns have been a factor in this office space remaining vacant".The report added "as remote working practices become more embedded it is anticipated that the nature of the office estate will change further and more opportunities for efficiencies will arise".Other public bodies given office space since the Covid pandemic include the Welsh language commissioner and the Food Standards Heathcote, general secretary of the Public and Commercial Services Union, told the BBC: "The current blended working arrangements at Welsh government have been developed with unions through working in social partnership, and we have no reason to believe the current arrangements are not working. "At such a time they are up for review, this will be done via social partnership with the Welsh government and recognised trade unions." FDA national officer Jane Runeckles said: "Work is what you do, not where you do it. "The world of work has changed, and Welsh government should take pride in the fact it has taken a leading role in this."She added a sensible approach to hybrid working would help the Welsh government "recruit and retain the brightest and best".

Keir Starmer and Narendra Modi set to sign off on Britain-India trade deal
Keir Starmer and Narendra Modi set to sign off on Britain-India trade deal

Western Telegraph

timean hour ago

  • Western Telegraph

Keir Starmer and Narendra Modi set to sign off on Britain-India trade deal

The Prime Minister and his Indian counterpart also agreed ahead of their meeting on Thursday to ramp up joint efforts to tackle illegal migration and organised crime. The UK-India trade deal is understood to be the largest of its kind for its economic impact on Britain. We're putting more money in the pockets of hardworking Brits and helping families with the cost of living, and we're determined to go further and faster to grow the economy and raise living standards Sir Keir Starmer It will see tariffs on an array of British goods reduced from an average of 15% to 3%, with the aim of boosting the £11 billion of imports into the south Asian nation. Whisky tariffs will be slashed in half, according to the Government, and will fall further over successive years, while other industries including soft drinks, cars and cosmetics are also expected to see cheaper duties. Before his meeting with Mr Modi to confirm the deal, Sir Keir said: 'Our landmark trade deal with India is a major win for Britain. It will create thousands of British jobs across the UK, unlock new opportunities for businesses and drive growth in every corner of the country, delivering on our Plan for Change. 'We're putting more money in the pockets of hardworking Brits and helping families with the cost of living, and we're determined to go further and faster to grow the economy and raise living standards across the UK.' The deal is expected to result in 2,200 jobs across the country and £6 billion investment by British and Indian businesses. Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said the investment will 'reach all regions and nations of the UK so working people in every community can feel the benefits'. Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds (James Manning/PA) He added: 'The almost £6 billion in new investment and export wins announced today will deliver thousands of jobs and shows the strength of our partnership with India as we ensure the UK is the best place in the world to invest and do business.' The UK and India are also bolstering co-operation on tackling corruption, fraud, organised crime and illegal migration, by sharing criminal records and other intelligence. The deal has not given the UK as much access as it would have liked to India's financial and legal services industries. The agreement promises some benefits for the UK's financial services, with Chancellor Rachel Reeves understood to have pushed on behalf of the sector in discussions with her Indian counterpart. But more wide-ranging access was not agreed, and talks continue on a bilateral investment treaty aimed at protecting British investments in India and vice versa. The two nations also continue to discuss UK plans for a tax on high-carbon industries, which India believes could hit its imports unfairly. The Prime Minister is being pressed to raise the case of Jagtar Singh Johal (Family handout/PA) Negotiations on the deal began when Boris Johnson was prime minister in 2022, and were concluded in May this year. Labour sought to portray closing the deal, as well as trade agreements with the US and the EU, as evidence of the Government's pragmatism and global outlook. But shadow business secretary Andrew Griffith said it had only been made possible 'because of Brexit delivered by the Conservatives'. He added: 'Any trade deal that can successfully cut regulation which stops Britain's makers from creating new jobs and wealth will be a step in the right direction. 'But the irony should not be lost on anyone that any gains from this trade deal will be blown out of the water by (Deputy Prime Minister) Angela Rayner's union charter, stifling business with red tape, the jobs tax and, come autumn, Rachel Reeves' inevitable tax hikes that will punish Britain's makers just to reward those who do not contribute.' The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) has said that the signing 'sends a powerful signal that the UK is open for business and remains resolute in its commitment to free and fair trade'. Chief executive Rain Newton-Smith added: 'A trade agreement with India – one of the world's fastest-growing economies – is a springboard for long-term partnership and prosperity. UK firms can take advantage of this new platform to scale, diversify and compete on the global stage.' Elsewhere, Sir Keir is facing calls to raise the case of Jagtar Singh Johal, a British citizen who has been detained in India since 2017, when the Prime Minister meets Mr Modi. The Scottish Sikh is accused of being a member of the Khalistan Liberation Force, which is banned as a terror group in India. His family say he is being arbitrarily detained, with his brother Gurpreet Singh Johal insisting the matter should be 'high on the agenda when the prime ministers meet'.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store