ContactPoint database delayed

ContactPoint, which will record the details of all children including name, address, date of birth, was originally due to go live in October this year.

However in a letter to Barry Sheerman, chair of the Children, Schools and Families Select Committee, junior children’s minister Kevin Brennan said: “We have identified some issues as a result of recent system tests which we are working urgently to address.

“More work needed to be done before embarking on the final phases of testing, which includes testing with users.”

ContactPoint has attracted criticism from children’s rights groups and opposition political parties who have voiced concerns about security of children’s personal information.

The Conservatives have slammed the development saying the delay “looks like further evidence of the chaos at the heart of government”.

Maria Miller, shadow families secretary, said: “We repeatedly warned the government of the problems with ContactPoint but they pressed ahead regardless, ignoring our calls to allow time to sort them out. There were clear indications in February of significant security concerns with this database.”

She added: “Ministers need to come clean and confirm whether this delay is because children’s personal information is at risk.”