HC Deb 14 February 2003 vol 400 cc5-6W
Dr. Cable

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many laptop computers were used by(a) Ministers and special advisers and (b) officials in her Department in each year since 1995; how many were (i) lost and (ii) stolen; what their cost was; and if she will make a statement. [97502]

Clare Short

In September 2001 there was a change in the system used by my Department for recording the number of laptops in the temporary loan pool. All previous records have been destroyed. There are currently 134 laptop computers in the pool and they are available for use by Ministers, special advisers and officials in my Department.

The number of laptops purchased by DFID by financial year is as follows:

Financial year Number of laptops purchased
1995–96 57
1996–97 185
1997–98 121
1998–99 125
1999–2000 148
2000–01 265
2001–02 251
2002–03 (to date) 308

A total of 20 laptop computers were stolen during the 7-year period 1 April 1995 to 31 March 2002. None were lost. The breakdown by financial years with costs is as follows:

£
Number of laptops Value
1995–96 2 2,387.50
1996–97 2 1,986.00
1997–98 2 2,732.00
1998–99 Nil
1999–2000 3 4,420.00
2000–01 8 8,678.56
2001–02 3 3,497.25