Home Office: Theft

(asked on 9th November 2023) - View Source

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what data their Department holds on the (a) number and (b) total cost of replacing (i) laptops, (ii) mobile phones, (iii) memory sticks and (iv) external hard drives that have been (A) lost and (B) stolen in the last year.


Answered by
Chris Philp Portrait
Chris Philp
Minister of State (Home Office)
This question was answered on 16th November 2023

Devices reported as Lost or Stolen in 2023:

  1. 69 Encrypted laptops have been reported lost or stolen in 2023. The total value to replace these (based on purchase price) is £50,889.
  1. 115 Encrypted smartphones have been reported lost or stolen in 2023. The total value to replace these (based on purchase price) is £46,469.
  1. 3 Encrypted Memory Sticks have been reported lost or stolen in 2023. The total value to replace these (based on purchase price) is £71.16.
  1. No External Hard Drives have been reported lost or stolen so far in 2023.

The departmental security unit records and investigates each reported loss from the Department. If appropriate, the police are invited to undertake further inquiries. The Office of the Data Protection Officer will investigate any loss of data.

All devices reported lost or stolen are disabled and remotely wiped (should they appear online). Devices remain managed by Home Office systems so cannot be used.

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