O'Brien attacks Labour's failure to put National Flu Line in place

New research has revealed that the National Flu Line Service, a key part of the Government’s framework for dealing with pandemic flu, is still not in place – a year and a half after it was announced.

The phoneline, which is meant to come online when pandemic flu reaches ‘Phase 5’ by the World Health Organisation’s categorisation, is supposed to be able to take a minimum of 6 million calls a week.

But Lord Darzi has admitted that the line will not be ready until autumn this year – meaning the country will be without it for at least 5 months after cases of swine flu were confirmed in the UK.

Stephen O’Brien, the Shadow Health Minister, said, “The National Flu Line will be crucial if a pandemic were to happen in Britain, by allowing people to get the information and the anti-virals they will need to fight the flu without having to go to GP surgeries or hospitals.”

He stressed, “It is absolutely imperative that the Government takes action quickly to ensure that it is able to deal with the high numbers of calls from people who will need help should the (swine flu) virus spread in the UK.”

EDF staff charged with spying on French government office

Top staff at nuclear energy giant Electricite de France (EDF) have been charged on suspicion of spying on Greenpeace.

Two security chiefs at the French government-owned company are accused of conspiring to hack into Greenpeace computer systems in France. Three others have also been charged, including a computer expert and the head of a private investigation firm. The computer expert has already admitted the charge.

The head of Greenpeace UK is today seeking assurances that EDF, who are the front-runners to build new nuclear reactors in Britain, have not been spying on staff at Greenpeace's London offices.

EDF confirmed yesterday that authorities had searched their premises and an investigation had been opened for "fraudulent intrusion into computer systems".

EDF have recently bought British Energy, owners of almost all of the UK's nuclear power sites, and have an intense interest in shifting the nuclear debate in Britain.

John Sauven, head of Greenpeace UK, said: "We want to know if EDF have been spying on us.

"Their staff are already facing spying charges in France, and they've got a very obvious stake in the future of nuclear power in the UK.

"We back cutting-edge renewable energy projects, while EDF openly admit that such schemes would scupper their nuclear plans.

"So it's now very much up to EDF to say if they've been using underhand tactics in this country."

The spying revelations have already caused a furore in France, with national media covering the story widely. In 1985 the French government accepted responsibility for the bombing of the Greenpeace ship Rainbow Warrior, in which one crew member died.

Gordon Brown's brother, Andrew, is head of media relations at EdF.

Brake: Government’s Facebook plans show obsession with hoarding personal data

Commenting on Government plans to monitor social networking sites such as Facebook, Tom Brake said: "This is yet more evidence of this Government’s obsession with hoarding vast amounts of people’s personal data."

"We need complete clarity from the Government over what data they will retain and how it will be kept secure.

"Will membership of Facebook groups or people listing ‘suspicious' interests be caught in their dragnet?

"We also need guarantees that the Home Secretary's ‘Dustbin Stasi' won't use terrorism legislation to access retained Facebook data for frivolous purposes, such as identifying people who let their dogs foul the pavement."