UK MoD COMPUTERS STOLEN http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/6539725/MoD-loses-100-computers.html

MoD loses 100 computers

More than 100 Ministry of Defence computers and dozens more memory sticks have gone missing so far this year, it has been disclosed

Published: 7:00AM GMT 11 Nov 2009

Some 91 departmental laptops were lost or stolen in the first 10 months of 2009, as well as 23 desktop computers, according to official figures.

Another 47 USB flash memory devices have also disappeared.

They are the latest in a catalogue of losses over the past decade. About 1,500 MoD computers have now been lost or stolen since 2003.

Defence Minister Kevan Jones, who disclosed the latest figures to Parliament, said the problem was taken ''very seriously'' and that new measures were being introduced to tackle it.

While the number of laptops lost or stolen has fallen from 120 in the same period in 2008, the number of table top computers going missing has risen.

There have been 14 stolen and nine lost so far in 2009, up from eight stolen and four lost in the first 10 months of 2008

Mr Jones said: ''The MoD takes any loss of information and associated media storage devices very seriously and has robust procedures in place to mitigate against such occurrences.

''New processes, instructions and technological aids are also being implemented to mitigate human errors and raise awareness of every individual in the Department.''

Liberal Democrat defence spokesman Nick Harvey said the figures were the latest example of MoD incompetence under Defence Secretary Bob Ainsworth.

He said: "It is deeply alarming that a department as sensitive as the MoD is continuing to lose large numbers of computers and memory sticks.

"The apparent increase in the number of desktops lost or stolen over the last year is of particular concern.

"Report after report has uncovered incompetence throughout the MoD. It is time Bob Ainsworth and his department got their act together."

Shadow defence secretary Liam Fox said: "Despite repeated public embarrassment, nothing seems to change. It is beginning to look as if nothing goes right under Labour."