HM Revenue & Customs headquarters in London

Security breaches at HM Revenue & Customs have risen dramatically since the data discs fiasco, figures show.

Despite pledges to tighten up after the loss of 25million child benefit records, the agency has had ten breaches a day since October last year, compared to eight per day the previous year.

They include the losses of computers containing information about members of the public and mobile phones with private numbers stored in them.

Tory Treasury spokesman Philip Hammond said: 'How can the Government claim to be taking data security seriously when the number of breaches at the Revenue has actually increased?'

Figures in Parliamentary written answers show that since October 2007 there have been 1,993 incidents. At that rate, there will be more than 2,700 breaches by this October - a rise of 28 per cent.

Treasury Minister Jane Kennedy said: 'This high level of reporting reflects the increased awareness of staff following the child benefit data loss in October 2007.'

Meanwhile ,it emerged that Paul Gray, the civil servant responsible for losing the child benefit discs, has a new job with a firm which has £650,000 worth of contracts with the Government.

Mr Gray, who left HMRC with a £2.3million pension, is helping Praesta's executives 'develop their potential'.