§ Mr. WebbTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many cases of computer misuse there were in his Department in(a) 1997 and (b) 2003, broken down by category of misuse; and how many of those cases resulted in disciplinary action. [163276]
§ Mr. Charles ClarkeThe Department for Education and Skills allows personal use of the internet and email outside normal hours. Staff are warned that internet accesses may be monitored and misuse may lead to disciplinary action. Staff are reminded of the policy each time they log on to the Department's network and must accept the policy before log in can be completed.
The numbers of cases of computer misuse within the Department for Education and Skills is as follows:
Number of cases Type of misuse Action 1997 0 n/a Serious inappropriate n/a 2003 2 internet use Disciplinary Access to the internet for DfES staff was introduced in November 1997 and was approved only to those who had a business need. Usage was low and no instances of misuse occurred.