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| Minister 'sorry' for lost papers | |
| (1 day later) | |
| The work and pensions secretary has said he is "very sorry" for leaving confidential ministerial correspondence on a train. | The work and pensions secretary has said he is "very sorry" for leaving confidential ministerial correspondence on a train. |
| The Sunday Mirror reported that James Purnell lost the papers on a trip from Macclesfield to London on 4 October. | The Sunday Mirror reported that James Purnell lost the papers on a trip from Macclesfield to London on 4 October. |
| His spokeswoman said a letter and other documents were "returned safely within three days", adding: "Obviously, James is very sorry for the mistake." | His spokeswoman said a letter and other documents were "returned safely within three days", adding: "Obviously, James is very sorry for the mistake." |
| Gordon Brown said he was "concerned" by recent incidents with important data. | |
| He said the Cabinet Office would issue fresh instructions to ministers about how sensitive information should be handled. | |
| High-profile cases | |
| On Sunday it emerged that a computer memory stick, carrying the details of user names and passwords for a key government computer system, was left in a pub car park. | |
| Last week, a civil servant was fined £2,500 for leaving papers on a train. | Last week, a civil servant was fined £2,500 for leaving papers on a train. |
| In that case Richard Jackson admitted negligence and was fined for a breach of the Official Secrets Act after he left classified documents relating to al-Qaeda and Iraq on a train. | In that case Richard Jackson admitted negligence and was fined for a breach of the Official Secrets Act after he left classified documents relating to al-Qaeda and Iraq on a train. |
| Mr Purnell's spokeswoman said he had been working on papers from his ministerial "red box", but had not broken any rules by taking them on a train. | Mr Purnell's spokeswoman said he had been working on papers from his ministerial "red box", but had not broken any rules by taking them on a train. |
| She said they was "one letter from an MP with the attached correspondence". | |
| The Sunday Mirror said they were from Sir Gerald Kaufman MP and related to one of his constituents. They were picked up by a fellow passenger on the train. | The Sunday Mirror said they were from Sir Gerald Kaufman MP and related to one of his constituents. They were picked up by a fellow passenger on the train. |
| Responding to the incident, the prime minister said Mr Purnell would be "as concerned as me that rules for the future ensure that these things cannot happen". | |