To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) how many officials in (a) his Department and (b) HM Revenue and Customs are responsible for monitoring and reviewing security arrangements to ensure that policy, standards and procedures for information security remain up-to-date; (169756)

HMRC Security and Business Continuity is responsible for setting standards and policy, for providing specialist advice and guidance and personnel security vetting, and providing independent assurance on security business continuity within the Department. This central role is in addition to the responsibility of individual business units to maintain and monitor security arrangements.

At 1 December 2007 there were (a) 7.2 officials in HM Treasury’s Group Security Unit and (b) 73 officials working in HM Revenue and Customs’ Security and Business Continuity Team. In addition, it is the responsibility of each individual line manager to ensure that their staff follow the department’s security procedures.

The Inland Revenue had a Departmental Security Unit comprising 41 officials.

HM Customs and Excise had a Departmental Security Unit comprising 50 officials.

The figures quoted are on the basis of full-time equivalent staff in post, rounded to the nearest whole number, as at 31 March 2005.