§ Mr. SteinbergTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his estimate of the amount of money stolen by computer fraud in 1989; and what measures are being taken to combat this type of crime.
§ Mr. ForthI have been asked to reply.
Information on computer fraud is not collected centrally, and an estimate cannot therefore be made with any degree of accuracy. However, it is clear from anecdotal evidence that computer fraud and the broader problem of computer misuse are sufficiently widespread to be of concern.
My hon. Friend the Member for Romsey and Waterside (Mr. Colvin) is sponsoring a private Member's Bill to strengthen the criminal law to deal with these issues. The Bill is currently before Parliament, and my Department is giving Mr. Colvin all the support it properly can. We have also launched a three-year awareness programme to emphasise the importance of good computer security.