(2) how many laptop computers have been provided to (a) Ministers, (b) special advisers and (c) civil servants in his Department in each year since 2005; and at what cost;
(3) how many (a) BlackBerrys and (b) other mobile telephones have been provided to (i) Ministers, (ii) special advisers and (iii) civil servants in his Department in each year since 2005.
HM Treasury no longer holds records of portable computers, BlackBerry and other mobile phone devices made available for the use of individuals prior to the creation of a shared IT service for HM Treasury and the Office of Government Commerce (OGC) in April 2007.
Details of the dates of purchase of individual computers and mobile telephony devices are not available. Since 2007, a total of 472 laptop computers have been purchased centrally for use within HM Treasury, at a total cost of £270,000. Of these, three laptops are currently made available for the use of Government Ministers, and one for the use of a special adviser.
There are also currently 207 BlackBerry devices in use across HM Treasury, including three by Ministers and five by special advisers. The total number of other mobile telephony devices is not available.
The Treasury does not record the costs of acquiring or using BlackBerry devices (being all-in-one mobile phones, email devices, web browsers and organisers) or similar devices separately from other telecommunications costs, so the information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.