HC Deb 14 February 2003 vol 400 cc144-5W
Dr. Cable

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many laptop computers were used by(a) Ministers and special advisers and (b) officials in his Department in each year since 1995; how many were (i) lost and (ii) stolen; what their cost was; and if he will make a statement. [97496]

Mr. Charles Clarke

The number of laptop computers in use in the Department for Education and Skills since 1995 is shown in the table.

Financial year Ministers Special advisors Officials
1995–96 — — 11
1996–97 — — 375
1997–98 — — 690
1998–99 — — 1,172
1999–2000 3 1 1,586
2000–01 3 2 1,940
2001–02 3 1 2,105
2002–03 3 1 1,861

The following tables detail the equipment stolen and lost from the Department for Education and Skills since 1 May 1997 along with the approximate value of the stolen equipment. Information is not available for earlier years.

Stolen
Financial year Number of laptops Approximate value per item £ Total approximate value (£)
1997–98 5 1,000 5,000
1998–99 7 1,000 7,000
1999–2000 5 1,000 5,000
2000–01 2 1,000 2,000
2001–02 3 1,000 3,000
2002–03 9 1,000 9,000

Lost
Financial year Number of laptops Approximate value per item(£) Total approximate value (£)
1997–98 12 1,000 12,000
1998–99 11 1,000 11,000
1999–2000 11 1,000 11,000

Lost
Financial year Number of laptops Approximate value per item (£) Total approximate value (£)
2000–01 10 1,000 10,000
2001–02 8 1,000 8,000
2002–03 53 1,000 53,000

Notes:

Electronic secutity tags are fitted to all portable IT equipment held in London. The tags raise an alarm at Reception if an unauthorised person attempts to remove the kit. The level of theft outside London is so low that it is not justified to extend tagging to the Darlington, Runcorn and Sheffield sites of the Department.

Mr. Burstow

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many cases of computer(a) hacking, (b) fraud and (c) theft his Department recorded in 2001–02; and on how many occasions computer systems have been illegally accessed by computer hackers (i) within and (ii) outside his Department. [97557]

Mr. Charles Clarke

During the financial year 2001–02 there have been:

  1. (a) no detected cases of computer hacking, either by insiders or by persons outside of the Department;
  2. (b) no cases of computer fraud; and
  3. (c) three cases of theft of IT equipment by persons outside the Department for Education and Skills.