Letwin broke law by disposing of documents in public bin

Minister Oliver Letwin must ensure that he keeps personal information secure or face formal enforcement action, the Information Commissioner has said.

On 14 October, the Daily Mirror published an article including images of Mr Letwin disposing of constituents’ letters and emails in public bins in St James’ Park, close to Downing Street.

The documents – which were later handed over to the ICO by the newspaper – were then examined to determine what personal information they included.   

The ICO has found that the letters and emails contained the names, addresses and contact details of approximately 20 individuals. One email also included a limited amount of information relating to an individual’s recent hospital treatment.

Mr Letwin has signed a written commitment to put changes in place, including ensuring that any documents containing personal data are disposed of in a secure manner. Mr Letwin will also make sure that he complies with the Cabinet Office’s data handling guidance. 

Christopher Graham, Information Commissioner, said: “Constituents entrust their Member of Parliament with all sorts of personal information and should never expect the details of the concerns they’ve raised in confidence to end up in a park bin for anyone to see. It is clear that Mr Letwin has learned from this incident and we’re pleased that he has co-operated fully.

“It is fortunate that most of the information he discarded was not of a particularly sensitive nature and was therefore unlikely to cause substantial distress to his constituents. But if we receive any further reports or complaints about Mr Letwin’s conduct in this area then we will consider taking more formal action.

"I’m sure this case will also prompt other MPs to review their handling of personal data to ensure they’re doing all they can to keep it secure.”