HC Deb 06 February 1997 vol 289 cc729-30W
Mr. Derek Foster

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) on how many occasions in each of the last five years computer systems have been illegally accessed by computer hackers in his Department; [14550]

(2) how many cases of computer hacking, fraud and theft, including theft of computer chips his Department has recorded in the last five years. [14551]

Sir John Wheeler

During each of the past five years the number of occasions when computer systems within this Department have been illegally accessed by computer hackers is as follows:

Year Number of occasions
1991–92 2
1992–93 2
1993–94 0
1994–95 1
1995–96 0
19961 0
1 To date.

Over this period, there were no recorded cases of computer fraud or theft of computer chips, there were however 10 cases of theft in this period.