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Council in email data protection blunder

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A ‘HUMAN ERROR’ is being blamed for a recent data protection blunder at Pembrokeshire County Council after an email which contained contact details for 70 businesses was sent out on Friday (Oct 15).

The email, which was sent from the Trade Waste team at the Council, was sent to businesses who have trade waste agreements with the council informing them that their trade waste would cease due to them not returning their agreements.

The content of the email was intended to be read by the recipient only, however due to a human error instead of the businesses being added through the Blind Copy function – meaning no recipient can see who else is in the email thread – they were sent in the copy function – meaning all 70 businesses could see each other’s personal email addresses.

Not only were email addresses shared, it also tells all 70 recipients that they have each failed to return their waste agreement and that their contracts will be ceased.

The Herald was contacted by a number of businesses who expressed their disappointment at the council for their lack of privacy for account holders.

One local business owner, who wishes to remain anonymous said: “I am deeply concerned that the council have shared my personal information with 69 other businesses. 

“Not only does the sharing of my email address make it possible to be identified personally, and as a business, but it also informs others that I no longer have a trade waste agreement with the Council.

“As a business owner we have extremely strict data protection rules that we must adhere to for both staff and customers and I would expect an organisation such as a council to have more stringent policies in place to avoid this.

“This is wholly unacceptable and I have made my feelings very clear through a formal complaint.”

An email was later sent to all recipients to apologise for the incident and ask for the email to be irretrievably deleted.

The council has said despite employees having to sign up to a data protection policy on start of employment and regular training is given – this mistake was down to ‘human error’.

A small data protection team has been set up to deal with the incident and they have assured this newspaper that remedial action will be taken to ensure this does not happen again.

A Pembrokeshire County Council spokesperson said: “On 15 October 2021, an e-mail was sent to 70 email addresses informing them that they had not returned their trade waste agreements to the trade waste team and as a result collections of their trade waste would cease. 

“As a result of human error, the email contacts were not blind copied and all recipients were therefore made aware of each other’s email addresses. 

“As soon as this error was identified, this was reported to the Data Protection team and a follow up email was sent to all affected parties apologising and asking for the email to be irretrievably deleted.

“This incident will be logged and followed up by the Data Protection Team with remedial actions recommended to help ensure this does not happen again. 

“Pembrokeshire County Council endeavours to meet the highest standards when collecting and using personal data. 

“A Data Protection Policy is in place which all employees have to sign up to on commencement of their employment and regular training is provided. 

“A small dedicated Data Protection Team is in place to offer advice and assistance with monitoring compliance.”

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Dredging work set for Tenby Harbour

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TENBY HARBOUR and North Beach users are being asked to be aware of heavy moving machinery from Tuesday March 26 th to Friday 29 th as dredging work is carried out.

Sand will removed from the mouth of the Harbour and deposited at the north end of the beach. The work will not affect vessel movements at the Harbour.

Tenby Harbourmaster Chris Salisbury said a licence for the dredging had been issued after several months of application work.

“We ask that the public please keep clear of the operating area and that dogs are kept on a lead during this time,” Chris added.

Cllr Rhys Sinnett, Cabinet Member for Residents’ Services, said: “I’m grateful to our officers for securing the licence for this work to go ahead. This dredging is essential
for the operation of Tenby Harbour.

“The timing of the work has been governed by the tide and the dates represented the last opportunity for the work to be carried out before the boats are placed back in the
water.”

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Closure of Tata Steel’s coke ovens sparks political and union backlash

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THE recent announcement by Tata Steel to close the coke ovens at its Port Talbot plant in South Wales has ignited a firestorm of political and industrial action, highlighting the deepening crisis within the British steel industry and the challenges facing the transition to green steel.

Jo Stevens MP, the Shadow Welsh Secretary, expressed her concerns over the impact of the closure on the Welsh steel industry and the workers affected. Stevens emphasized the need for assurances about the workers’ immediate future and pledged that a UK Labour government would invest in the steel industry to support the transition to green steel, harnessing the skills, talent, and ambition of Welsh steelworkers.

The closure, slated for Wednesday due to concerns over the ovens’ “operational stability,” has been criticized by regional Senedd Members for South Wales West, Tom Giffard MS, and Dr. Altaf Hussain MS. They accused the Labour Welsh Government of neglecting its support for the Tata Steelworks in Port Talbot, highlighting a lack of financial assistance since 2019 and calling for a change in response to the current developments.

Unite, the UK’s leading union, has been vocal in its opposition to Tata’s decision, describing it as a shock and a “result of years of betrayal.” The union criticized Tata for not disclosing the imminent risk of closure during recent consultations and announced a ballot for industrial action among 1,500 Tata workers. Unite insists there should be no job losses at Port Talbot or Llanwern and that a blast furnace should remain operational.

Peter Hughes, Unite’s regional secretary for Wales, called for Tata to halt its closure plans in anticipation of Labour’s promised £3 billion investment to rejuvenate the UK steel industry. He accused Tata of managing the decline of UK steel while accepting government subsidies, describing the company’s actions as “deliberate industrial vandalism.”

The closure has not only raised concerns about the future of steel production in the UK but also spotlighted the political and economic strategies required to ensure the industry’s survival and transition towards more sustainable practices. The unfolding situation underscores the need for a collaborative approach between the government, industry stakeholders, and the workforce to navigate the complex challenges ahead.

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Firefighters tackle blaze at block of garages in Monkton

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ONE person was injured as a result of a sunday afternoon garage fire in a block of garages in Monkton.

A spokesperson for Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service told The Pembrokeshire Herald said: “At 1.31pm on March 17, Pembroke Dock and Milford Haven crews were called to extinguish a fire in an alight central garage and were forced to use two breathing apparatus and two hose reels.

“The firefighters reportedly left the scene at 3.02pm after continuing to dampen the fire and check for fire spread.

“The casualty was treated by ambulance service personnel also in attendance.”

The police confirmed that a garage fire had been dealt with by Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service and Welsh Ambulance Service attended.

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