Computer Chips: Theft (Hansard, 12 April 1994)

The Minister of State, Home Office (Earl Ferrers)
No, my Lords. We are not aware of any peculiarity about chips which would require special measures to be taken to provide against their theft.

Lord Campbell of Croy
My Lords, I am grateful to my noble friend for his reply. Does he agree that as these chips are small, valuable and equivalent to an international currency, a series of attempted robberies was to be expected—robberies such as the one in Greenock recently in which £2.5 million worth of chips were removed? While close co-ordination is needed between international police forces, can he say whether it is possible for manufacturers to leave identification marks on the chips so that they can be traced even after they are in computers?

Earl Ferrers
My Lords, my noble friend quite rightly points to the fact that chips are small, valuable and might be used as an international currency. But so are diamonds and they are very much more readily tradable. My noble friend said that there had been an outbreak of stealing. In fact, there has only been one theft in this country, in Greenock. The police and Interpol have no knowledge of any concerted efforts being made to steal chips. My noble friend asked 1385 whether it was possible to identify the chips. My understanding is that there is the possibility for them to be marked and that is done, but they are marked in batches because chips are sold in batches. It is therefore not possible—or at least it is not done—to mark individual chips. When a chip is located it is possible to tell the batch from which it was purchased and where it was made. The business of the police then is to decide whether or not it has been stolen.

§ Lord McIntosh of Haringey
My Lords, in view of my earlier derogatory remarks about Home Office Answers, will the Minister accept from me that I entirely applaud his sturdy refusal to take specific action about theft of particular high value items? He is quite right that the law must cover all high value items and no special provision for particular items is desirable.

Earl Ferrers
My Lords, the noble Lord changes his colour like a chameleon. I am very grateful to him for agreeing with my Answer. I like to think that all my answers would be subject to the noble Lord's agreement, if only he would look at them in the right way.

Lord Campbell of Croy
My Lords, lest there should be any misunderstanding, will the Minister accept that my Question and supplementary question were not aimed at altering the law in any respect? Further to what was said by the noble Lord, Lord McIntosh, the law must of course apply equally for all items. But the police are required to take special precautions when it is known that there will be attempts to steal specific items of property, particularly valuable ones. I stick to that. I thank my noble friend for his assurances. Will he continue to make sure that everything is done to stop a positive trade in stolen chips and the temptation for professional criminals to steal them?

Earl Ferrers
My Lords, I understand my noble friend's point. Of course the police will take steps if they believe that there are any concerted efforts being made to steal the chips. But that is not the case at the moment. A group, including representatives of the force in whose area there was recently a major theft and a number of major electronics companies with manufacturing bases in Scotland, has been operating since last year to try to provide crime prevention advice and collate intelligence on crime against the industry.

§ Lord Hailsham of Saint Marylebone
My Lords, will my noble friend accept that I may not be the only Member of this House who would like to know from my noble friend what these computer chips are and why anyone wants to steal them?

Earl Ferrers
My Lords, I thought that somebody would ask a nasty question such as that. The fact is that a chip can be very expensive. I understand that when they are used in guided missiles they can cost hundreds of thousands of pounds and carry out many different tasks. On the other hand, they can carry out only one action, in which case they cost 15p. Perhaps that is the type of chip that my noble and learned friend would 1386 purchase if he wished to have one. The fact is that chips contain silicon and a number of complicated bits and pieces which enable them to do many things which my noble and learned friend would not be able to do without such a wretched chip.

§ Lord Elton
My Lords, in view of the negotiations between this country, Spain and Portugal, does my noble friend agree that the Government might be better looking after our fish than our chips?

Earl Ferrers
My Lords, that is a different type of question and a different type of chip.