To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many laptop computers have been used by (a) Ministers, (b) special advisers and (c) officials in her Department in each year since 1995; how many have been (i) lost and (ii) stolen in that period; what the cost was of the use of laptops in that period; and if she will make a statement.

The information is as follows.

(a) No laptops have ever been issued to Ministers by my Department.

(b) Special advisers have used two laptops in the last two years. Prior to that no departmental laptops were used by special advisers.

(c) Due to the turnover of staff and equipment, we do not hold records of laptop loans back to 1995. Our records show that DCMS currently has 109 laptops. Since 1998, the number of laptops lost by staff or stolen from staff is:

(i) Five lost

(ii) Two stolen.

No laptops have been stolen by staff.

Records of cost of use of equipment could not be collated without disproportionate cost.