Publicly displaying one’s papers in public (as certain Ministers have done) just goes to show their lack of understanding of even the concept of data security. Even if they were all to go and be replaced by super-duper IT/security-conscious Ministers (not possible under Labour, by the way), no doubt one day the situation would revert — when it’s too late, as all that data will by then be on file.

Therefore the only sensible course is to oppose all of this — much though a part of me would like a more joined-up and less fragmented State database system on principle.

As for leaving files lying around: well, I recall Sir Humphrey Appleby “accidentally” leaving a classified file behind after lunch with a journalist; but what has come to light in recent times (and not just the past week!) has been truly alarming.

When I was in the Civil Service, we treated all classified material with appropriate respect. We were not allowed to take such files out of the office. Indeed, we’d have so-called “open sub-files” to hold non-classified material, so that if it really were necessary to take material outside, we could take just the “open” sub-file.

Possibly the worst of all, though, is taking classified official information and sending it to one’s political office. Regardless of the level of classification of the data in the current instance, the whole principle must be that this is automatically a near-hanging offence. Certainly any MP involved in such practices needs to be dealt with appropriately, and an example set to all.

It’s what I’d do!