By unlocking the export potential China offers the pig industry, not to mention the red meat sector as a whole, we could gain entry into a marketplace which comprises a fifth of the world’s population.Defra loses £25,000 worth of laptops
FOURTY-ONE Defra laptops worth more than £25,000 have been either lost or stolen over the past 12 months, the Department has admitted.
Nine Blackberries worth £1,510, four desktop PCs worth £1,050 and three projectors worth £1,850 have also gone missing from the Department in that time.
In total Defra Minster Richard Benyon said 63 items had been lost or stolen from Defra between July 2009 and the end of June this year at a cost of more than £31,000.
But a Defra spokesman has reassured the public that any sensitive information contained on the hardware was ‘encrypted and unreadable to anyone except those who are entitled to view it’.
Mr Benyon made the admission in a written parliamentary answer to a question from Pete Wishart, a Scottish National Party MP for Perth and North Perthshire.
“DEFRA takes the loss of equipment very seriously so regular security guidance is provided to staff.
“Security breach patrols are undertaken and staff are notified of instances where equipment has been left out or inadequately secured,” said Mr Benyon in his written answer.
Related images
Farmers Guardian newsletters
Get the best of Farmers Guardian delivered straight to your inbox. Click here to sign-up today
-
General news and breaking news alerts
Minimum weekly delivery -
Livestock, arable, dairy and young farmers
news and features
Monthly delivery
Readers' comments (8)
Farmer's Wife | 20 July 2010 12:16 pm
If they want to throw money away please throw it in my direction!!
Could you imagine their reaction if we 'lost' all our records and said 'oh dont worry the cows are all tagged!!'
Unsuitable or offensive? Report this comment
Anonymous | 20 July 2010 12:20 pm
I'm self employed and if I lost my lap top I'd have to pay for a replacement and sort out the hassle resulting from lost information. Those laptops etc must have been issued to someone - are they paying for the replacement?
Unsuitable or offensive? Report this comment
Hawkeye | 20 July 2010 12:24 pm
This is what happens when you put bunny hugging agenda seekers into power in a place they know nothing about!
Unsuitable or offensive? Report this comment
Paddy Norman | 20 July 2010 12:31 pm
Wouldn't it be better all round if DEFRA employees bought their own equipment and DEFRA paid them a suitable rent ? I will guarantee that the losses would drop and if they were insured as well that the insurance would cover their replacement.
Unsuitable or offensive? Report this comment
Gwyndaf Thomas | 20 July 2010 1:32 pm
What is it with government departments and quango's loosing stuff?
Its no surprise as most of them have lost their marbles anyway!
Traditionally, when there was a query their excuse would be "computer error." Now that they've worked out that a computer error is the result of an input error they've turned to blaming thieves for taking their computers.
I think that I'll use the same excuse for submitting late forms. ("sorry I've lost my laptop and didn't notice that it was missing until I needed to register some calves.")
Unsuitable or offensive? Report this comment
C.Hawes..taxpayer | 22 July 2010 10:24 am
Ebay been busy ?
Unsuitable or offensive? Report this comment
worcs girl | 23 July 2010 11:15 am
what good enough for the gander is good enough for the goose "whoops some one stolen my movement book"
like c.hawes commet
Unsuitable or offensive? Report this comment
Mike Lewis | 23 July 2010 6:53 pm
It could only happen at DEFRA, God spare us. Department Efficiency For Removal of Assetts :-)
Unsuitable or offensive? Report this comment