"I will ensure only encrypted media will be lost in car parks, on trains and in airports"

"I will ensure secure network transfers of sensitive data are made. The Royal Mail can kiss goodbye to transporting our CDs"

"I will ensure that all coats are patted-down when people are leaving the office....."

But the job application form got lost in the post.

Two thirds of the hassle of filling in the Self Assessment pages could be avoided if the web site made proper use of information ALREADY known to HMRC instead of asking the taxpayer to fill it in over and over again.

As an absolute minimum, that means:

a) tax returns for previous years remaining viewable for the statutory SIX years

b) ability to automatically COPY last year's answer as default in all questions where the answer is still likely to be correct (eg employer's name, bank account number, etc)

c) Not asking for information already known to HMRC. Use the information submitted by the third party (UK bank interest, share dividents, wages, pensions etc) and ask for confirmation that the values are correct instead of entering them from scratch).

d) Already know about, and *USE*, details of my overpayments and overpayments. You should be TELLING me about them, not asking me to tell you what you already should know.

.. just sprinkling random DvD / CD/ Flash disk copies/backups on various forms of public transport?! Where do I apply?

...But then it would be much harder to fill it in 2 years late. If they used all the info they already have they'd be chasing you for an amount when you go over the deadline as opposed to just fining you 100 quid and asking you nicely to remember it and get it in soon. Even though they charge interest and fine you, sometimes you can be much better off leaving it until you actually have the 20K you owe them before telling them that's how much you owe!

sidled into the COO job - am I the only one that thinks WTF?