The Department for Children, Schools and Families had a full page advert in the Shropshire Star last night for their ContactPoint database.

ContactPoint is a massive centralised database that local authorities in England are legally obliged to populate with the details of every child under the age of 18, along with details of their parents, school, GP and childrens services.  The advert says the database is secure and can only be used by people who are security clared and trained but as with every other government database, it’s not secure enough for the children of MPs to be put in it.

The advert is pure propaganda, nothing more, nothing less.  ContactPoint is an instrument of the British police state and will be abused from day one.  The advert says that children will only be on ContactPoint until they’re 18, it doesn’t say what will happen to the records.  Data Protection laws say that the records have to be kept for a reasonable amount of time after they’re no longer used and after collecting all this information, there is no way the British government will get rid of it – it will simply be moved to the adult identity database where even more information will be added to it so the authorities have a complete picture of every proles life from cradle to grave.

I refuse to accept that details of my children and myself can be put on an insecure database without my consent.  It’s a breach of our right to privacy under Article 8 of the Human Rights Act and if it’s not secure enough for Gordon Brown’s children then it’s not secure enough for mine.

I’ve just sent the following email to my local council:

Seeing the full page propaganda piece from the Department for Children, Schools and Families has done nothing to convince me that ContactPoint is simply a benign repository of information to keep children safe.

The database won’t be secure, that’s why MPs children won’t appear on it.  I cannot allow my children’s details to be entered onto an insecure database, I want them to be safe.  ContactPoint is also a breach of the right to privacy guaranteed under Article 8 of the Human Rights Act.

I forbid you from entering details of my children on the ContactPoint database.  If you do so against my express wishes I will take legal action against the council and the individual responsible for the details being entered.

My children are {censored}.

Please ensure that all relevant departments are made aware of my instructions.

Stuart Parr
{Address}

Technorati Tags: Contact Point, Database State, Police State