Chaplin could run UK Home Office better, says opposition politician

London, Aug.23 : Liberal Democrat leader Nigel Clegg is of the view that the late Hollywood silent era comedian Charlie Chaplin could run the Home Office better than the present Labour Government of Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

He was giving his comments in connection with Labour's admission that the names, addresses and expected release dates of all 84,000 prisoners in England and Wales were among the information on a computer memory stick lost by contractor P A Consulting.

There are fears criminals could buy the information to settle old scores - possibly even waiting outside prison gates to get revenge. But changing release dates would cause mayhem in crowded prisons.

The new embarrassment is the latest in a string of cases where the Government has lost sensitive data, including details of 25-million child benefit claimants.

ANI