I suppose someone had to do it...
Not going to start taking sides politically because I think the whole democratic system is a stupid idea, but personally I'm not massively concerned about any 'lost' data. Anyone who works anywhere will know that things are never kept where they're meant to be. A bit disconcerting to think the same applies to tax details, but imagine if you were the guy who got mailed the wrong package, chucked it his his briefcase meaning to send it back, forgot about it completely and then a week or so later turned on the news... You're not exactly gong to give someone in London a call, are you? "You're not going to believe this, but you know that nationwide scandal with those CDs? Yeah, my bad."
That, and whoever in the BBC decided to broadcast the suggestion that the discs could be used by paedophile gangs should be shot.