§ Mr. DonohoeTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many times mobile telephones used by Ministers in his Department have been cloned during(a) the last six months, (b) the last 12 months and (c) the last 18 months; and which Ministers within his Department have had their mobile telephones cloned. [4252]
§ Mr. Douglas Hogg[holding answer 7 December 1995]: MAFF Ministers has been issued with digitally based mobile telephones which provide greater security features than their analogue counterparts since the beginning of July this year. We have had no cases of mobile telephones being cloned since then.
There have been four cases of mobile telephones used by MAFF Ministers being cloned within the last 18 months. These all occurred within the last 12 months. Those concerned were the then Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Bristol, West (Mr. Waldgrave), the then Minister of State, my hon. Friend the Member for Fylde (Mr. Jack), the then Parliamentary Secretary, my noble Friend the Earl Howe, and the current Parliamentary Secretary, my hon. Friend the Member for Tiverton (Mrs. Browning).