U.K. Tax Chief Resigns After Losing Personal Tax Data of Half the British Population

The U.K.'s top tax official, Paul Gray, head of Her Majesty's Revenue & Customs, resigned yesterday following revelations that the tax records of 25 million individuals and 7.25 million families are "missing." The data breach occurred when a junior tax official sent two discs containing the British tax agency's entire data set on the payment of child benefits to the National Audit Office "by HMRC's post system operated by the courier TNT."

• Statement to the House of Commons by Chancellor of the Exchequer, Alistair Darling, MP, on HMRC
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