Tens of thousands of politicians, celebrities and local bigwigs will be able to keep their addresses and details about their families off the Government's new children's database, it was revealed yesterday.
They will be allowed to withdraw everything but their children's names, sex and ages from the controversial computer record.
Powerful and influential parents who believe they will be in danger from others who may be 'hostile' will have their details struck off the ContactPoint database along with domestic violence victims and those in witness protection programmes.
But the great majority of ordinary families will be compelled to display their contact details alongside information about their children and their schools, doctors and social workers.
News of the 'get-out' clause will only add to the anger and suspicion that has greeted the £224million project. It has already has been hit by a string of delays over concerns over the security of the highly sensitive data it holds.
Ministers released details about the numbers likely to be able to take advantage of the 'get-out' rules as they launched the database.
Officials estimate that hundreds of parents in each local authority will be included in a 'shielding' system which will limit information about them on ContactPoint because they are judged to be 'at risk of significant harm'.
Across all the 150 town halls that will run the database, that adds up to at least 50,000.
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