§ Mr. WebbTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many cases of computer misuse there were in his Department in54W (a)1997 and (b)2003, broken down by category of misuse; and how many of those cases resulted in disciplinary action. [163290]
§ Mr. RammellThe Foreign and Commonwealth Office has monitored IT systems since April 2003. We take immediate, formal action against officers who seriously abuse the system (i.e. in cases involving pornographic images). In less serious cases (i.e. those involving offensive material), line managers normally warn first time offenders. We will take formal action against persistent offenders. Since April 2003, we have sent 72 formal warning letters. Disciplinary action has resulted in 34 cases.
We have taken disciplinary action on two occasions as a result of identifying e-mails containing offensive language.
We have also taken disciplinary action against two officers for browsing inappropriate websites.