To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Fareham (Mr. Hoban) of 15 May 2009, Official Report, column 1061W, on departmental mobile phones, what records his Department keeps on the number of communications devices lost by members of his Department. (276799)

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office devolves the purchase and safekeeping of these items to its Directorates and Posts overseas. All users are required to sign a statement of responsibility, accepting financial liability for losses incurred through negligence. Losses are reported, recorded and managed locally. The information is not held centrally and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.