ISLE-OF-WIGHT-L Archives

From: "urry" <>
Subject: RE: Records to go Abroad?
Date: Mon, 27 Jun 2005 15:21:48 +0200
In-Reply-To: <200506260723.j5Q6ZHE1006203@mail22.syd.optusnet.com.au>

Thank you Angela.

An interesting and disturbing piece of news that certainly wouldn't have
come as a surprise to the likes of George Orwell (ref. his book "1984"). It
used to be said that an Englishman's home was his castle; nowadays it seems
more like an open book. Of course, we mustn't complain, what? Not like those
awful Frenchmen who shout, scream, jump about and usually get what they
want. Poor old Jacques Chirac is not looking so tired and haggard for
nothing. One look at Mr Blair and we realise that he is not suffering as
much pressure from his bosses (who rules who?)!

But what can we do about it? Well, perhaps a strong letter to the 'Times',
or even lobby our local MP? I'm sure he would smile benignly whilst assuring
us of his support and understanding. Legally I wonder if there is not some
question of abuse of personal and confidential information? A simple
solution might be that if enough people make enough concentrated fuss, the
snowball effect would take over and turn a minor detail into an awkward
problem for public servants who are getting too big for their boots.

The ONS are probably right about this helping people to trace their family
histories. Information on living people that is presently denied us, may
soon be available to all the world from some Indian website. It may cost us
a few rupees but let us not confuse the issue, or get sidelined by
unimportant moral harpings, Money is all that really matters!

In her e-mail, Angela has mentioned one politician who appears to be
concerned about our rights and two organisations (including the newspaper
that published the article) who are sympathetic to the cause. Could we not
all e-mail our opinion to these people at roughly the same time? If well
supported the sudden influx of e-mails may well create a little havoc that
might attract further intention? Such an e-mail need not be more than a
'one-liner' and could be the same sent to all. It is the number of e-mails
that might have effect rather than their content. Pasting in a copy of the
Magna Carta might add enough volume to embarrass even the broadest
bandwidth!

Anyone interested?, or am I just an ironic old windbag who would do better
joining the 'daisy pushers' he's so interested in :-)

Mark.



Mark S Urry
Marans, France.
URRY Family History at:
http://www.marcireau.fr/urry/



-----Original Message-----
From: Angela & Peter McMurtry [mailto:]
Sent: dimanche 26 juin 2005 09:16
To:
Subject: Records to go Abroad?

Thought this was important enough to pass on. Brings a whole new meaning to
the expression 'lost in translation'

Angela



I also believe Ancestry.com out sources to India - which is probably why
half my family are missing from Census. Have emailed ancestry and asked
them to confirm but so far no reply. Anyway something to bear in mind.





U.K. Plan to Send Records to India is Criticized Plans to electronically
send records of United Kingdom births, deaths, and marriages to India for
indexing are "outrageous", a civil service union says. The Public and
Commercial Services Union (PCS) said the Office of National Statistics (ONS)
was playing "fast and loose" with sensitive information and that hundreds of
UK jobs could be lost. Some members of Parliament seem to agree.



The Office of National Statistics (ONS) said the move would help people to
trace their family histories. It claimed that the project, which would take
about three years to complete, would be secure and would lead to a more
efficient online service.



Labour MP John McDonnell tabled a motion in the House of Commons, urging the
government to drop moves to transfer a database containing details of every
birth, marriage, and death in England and Wales since 1837 to an offshore
centre in the southern Indian state of Chennai. McDonnell cited concerns
about protection of private information in a country that has been shown to
have little regard for such issues.



Mark Serwotka, general secretary of the Public and Commercial Services
Union, slammed the move. "Not only is this highly irregular, it is also
outrageous that a government will so readily dismiss concerns of parliament
in handing over the records of 250 million people to a third party halfway
across the globe," he said. "These are important records charting the
births, deaths, and marriages of this country's population, which should be
maintained securely in the UK public sector by people accountable to us
all," said Serwotka.



The records are currently held in Southport, but would be sent to Chennai,
India, creating around 1,000 jobs for the Indians. About 250 million records
from England and Wales dating back to 1837 would be sent to India to be
transcribed and placed into computer databases.

This thread:

• Records to go Abroad? by "Angela & Peter McMurtry" <>