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Britain's Labour party calls for investigation into private emails

BBC reported that Labour has called for an investigation into ministers' use of private email addresses for government business. Labour party
This follows a report in the Sunday Times that former health secretary Matt Hancock potentially breached guidelines by using his personal email account.
The BBC quoted that Labour's deputy leader Angela Rayner has called it a "shady practice" and said it could "conceal vital information".
The BBC said that the Sunday Times had seen documents that suggested Mr Hancock had "routinely used a private account to conduct government business", while junior health minister Lord Bethell also used his personal email address.
This could mean that the government does not hold complete records of the former health secretary's decision-making during the pandemic, including on matters such as PPE contracts, Test and Trace and the government's care home strategy. Labour party
Ms Rayner has called for the recovery of any emails relevant to a public inquiry into the pandemic response.
In a letter to the cabinet secretary - the top civil servant - and the information commissioner, she demanded to know whether private emails had been used to discuss government contracts and if their use might have potentially broken the law.
"We need to know how wide this goes and how much government business is being conducted in secret," The BBC quoted her as saying.
Cabinet Office guidelines state that where government business is conducted using private email addresses, steps should be taken "to ensure the relevant information is accessible".
One guideline states that a copy should be sent to a departmental email address - for record-keeping purposes, but also so it can be requested under the Freedom of Information Act.
A Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) spokesman said: "All DHSC ministers understand the rules around personal email usage and only conduct government business through their departmental email addresses."
The BBC reported, citing the Sunday Times that the minutes from a meeting between senior officials in the DHSC in December showed that David Williams, who was then the department's second permanent secretary, warned that Mr Hancock "only" dealt with his private office "via Gmail account".
The paper reported that Mr Williams said the secretary of state "does not have a DHSC inbox" and that health minister Lord Bethell also "routinely uses his private inbox", but that official accounts had been provided afterwards.
He said he "doesn't believe there were inappropriate acts on behalf of ministers but can clearly see the optics suggest otherwise".
Mr Hancock resigned as health secretary on Saturday after pictures were published of him kissing his colleague, and DHSC non-executive board member, Gina Coladangelo in the departmental building.
He has also faced questions over the appointment of his long-time friend Ms Coladangelo to the department - while an investigation has been launched into how the footage of the pair was leaked.
Mr Hancock has been replaced as health secretary by former chancellor Sajid Javid. Labour party
Source: BBC
Image source: Getty Images-BBC
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BENEFIT Sponsors BuildHer...
- April 23, 2025
BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”
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