Subscribe to this blog's feedWhat should we make of that patrician Tory peer Lord Jenkin of Roding, a former Conservative cabinet minister? He was involved in some exchanges in the Upper House with Lord Rooker about fuel poverty, benefit checks and data protection issues, which were making it difficult to target vulnerable customers, even though there had been a promising trial involving energy companies and the Department for Work and Pensions.
Lord Jenkin had some practical suggestions on how to circumvent the data-sharing difficulties. “The first is that the names of all the tax credit claimants are put on to a couple of computer disks and sent in an anonymous envelope to the Energy Retail Association. The second thing might be to arrange for the local authority to put all its information into an unnetted skip and let it fly out over the roundabouts on the bypasses. The third thing is that the Department for Work and Pensions could put all its information on to a laptop computer and arrange for it to be stolen.”
The incorrigible peer, who is well into his 70s, had a final jest. He suggested there was a new variant of the three famous untruths gag. “First, the cheque is in the post. Second, of course I will still love you in the morning. And third, I’m from the government and I’m here to help.”
It’s clear a late flowering career as a stand-up comic beckons for the good lord.
