Data

I see that the Ministry of Defence has had to admit to losing hundreds of computer disks, memory sticks and suchlike, the latest in a long line of data to be lost by the government. This is no bad thing. In my days at the Ministry it used to be only senior Civil Servants and Ministers who could read reports on the state of the nation's defences, intelligence reports on M.P.s and so forth, normally when we wanted to have a good laugh. Now, everyone who travels by train can help themselves! I recommend the 11.23 to Edinburgh, as this is where most government ministers live these days. Just last week I was able to peruse the Treasury's latest economic forecasts, written almost entirely in red ink, as well as a memory card on which I found Gordon Brown's plans for turning around his government's fortunes. Amazing how small they can make these devices, isn't it?