Question
Following consideration of the Above Delegated Authority Request, the Committee has asked for response to the following questions:
1. Can confirmation be provided of the date the Royal Mail system was put in place, and assurance that all documents deemed to be ‘official sensitive’ are posted using appropriate tracking services?
2. Can PSNI confirm if there are other cases pending pre 2015 relating to data loss of ‘official sensitive’ information of police officers or staff?
3. Since the introduction of the new system in 2015, how many reports of postal data loss of an official sensitive nature have been recorded in respect police officers, police staff or others?
4. How many legal actions in respect of data loss of official sensitive material (outside of the 2023 data breach) have been instigated against the PSNI since 2015?
Answer
1. Can confirmation be provided of the date the Royal Mail system was put in place, and assurance that all documents deemed to be ‘official sensitive’ are posted using appropriate tracking services?
The Royal Mail system has been in place since 2015. Documents classified as ‘official sensitive’ are delivered by hand or sent using recorded and tracked mail. There are secure processes for dealing with undelivered or returned mail. There is also a dedicated SPOC in the national returns office at Mallusk who is vetted to a higher level.
2. Can PSNI confirm if there are other cases pending pre 2015 relating to data loss of ‘official sensitive’ information of police officers or staff?
There are no legal actions pending relating to pre-2015.
3. Since the introduction of the new system in 2015, how many reports of postal data loss of an official sensitive nature have been recorded in respect police officers, police staff or others?
Since 2015, there has been 4 cases reported of post sent by PSNI and not delivered by Royal Mail.
4. How many legal actions in respect of data loss of official sensitive material (outside of the 2023 data breach) have been instigated against the PSNI since 2015?
Since 2015, we have had 7 other cases (not including the case which was the subject of the ADA request).
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