§ Mr. OatenTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many security passes have been reported(a) lost and (b) stolen by staff in (i) her Department and (ii) departmental agencies in the last 12 months. [147908]
§ Mr. BurstowTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many security passes have been reported(a) lost and (b) stolen by staff in her Department in the last 12 months. [150888]
§ Alun MichaelDuring 2003 available figures for the core Department show that 108 passes were reported lost and 12 stolen. These passes are electronically programmed and give no indication of the Department to which they relate. Once a loss is reported the pass is cancelled immediately which ends any threat to security.
Figures for Defra Agencies are as follows:
Lost Stolen Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science 16 1 Central Science Laboratory 11 0 Veterinary Laboratories Agency 6 0 Veterinary Medicines Directorate 10 0 Rural Payments Agency 350 5 Pesticides Safety Directorate 1 0 The high figure for the Rural Payments Agency is a result of employees on short term contracts failing to return their passes when they leave. This is being addressed.