An MP’s parliamentary-supplied laptop and iPad were stolen from a car at a service station, a newly released document shows.  

The theft is the latest in a series of disclosed hardware losses at Westminster that have led to concern among cyber-security experts.

The MP and his office called police and the Parliamentary Digital Service (PDS), who supplied the kit, after the incident on December 12 last year.  

A ‘low priority’ tag was given to the report, the log shows. 

Details of the crime have been released following disclosures of other equipment losses including a laptop containing ‘sensitive’ data being stolen from an MP’s office on the parliamentary estate.  

Police were called in after the member arrived on a Monday morning in April last year to find that the device, which contained data related to his parliamentary business, had vanished from a desk.  

William Taafe, chief executive officer at Lockdown Cyber Security, warned that ‘increased vigilance’ is needed at Westminster to guard against a range of cyber threats, including espionage by hostile states.

Mr Taafe said: ‘As new attack types form around the use of advanced artificial intelligence and hit the news, our behaviours around the physical security of our devices continues to be brought into question.

‘This worrisome revelation once again highlights the need for the increased vigilance which members of parliament must apply around the safety of their digital devices and the data contained within. While we hope that security measures on the devices were installed and kept updated, these breaches are damaging in terms of both risk and reputation.’

The disclosures of hardware being lost or stolen comes at a time of heightened concern over cybersecurity at Westminster, where the IT network is part of the Critical National Infrastructure.   

Data security protocols at parliament were reportedly tightened at the end of last year as the network faces cyber threats which could damage the national interest if the defences are breached.

In January, it emerged that a Chinese tracking device capable of transmitting location data was discovered inside a UK government car used to carry diplomats and senior officials. 

Mr Taafe added: ‘Devices of substantial monetary value, combined with sensitive government data, are an attractive proposition to both opportunistic thieves and espionage actors.

‘As citizens, and as a state, we must do better to safeguard them.’

Categorised as ‘equipment loss/misuse’, the theft is among incidents that have been reported by parliament to the Metropolitan Police.

The heavily redacted log, which was disclosed by the House of Commons after a Freedom of Information Act request by Metro.co.uk, includes a timeline of the PDS’s response to the incident.  

The report states: ‘No further information on type of incident available at this moment, requester to get back to us whether it was deliberate or opportunistic i.e Window smashed or door unlocked.’  

The log states that the PDS was contacted, along with ‘2 Colleagues in Westminster and 3 in the office’. One of the colleagues was said to be ‘directly speaking to police in Parliament’. 

Around three hours after the report was opened, the MP is recorded as having met police to report the incident and to have asked if a replacement laptop would come out of his budget.

The log reads: ‘Please confirm if a replacement laptop will come out of the Member’s budget for IT equipment, thanks.’ 

The ‘impact’ and ‘priority’ levels are listed as ‘low’, with large sections of the report blacked out on national security and law enforcement grounds. 

Police were also called in to investigate the laptop theft from the MP’s office in another of the IT hardware losses last year.

A log shows how the stolen device was used for parliamentary business and might have contained constituency data. 

The Met has made one arrest as enquiries continue.  

In another case, rail minister Huw Merriman had his work laptop stolen as he sat in a London pub. The incident on February 2 this year also resulted in the Met being called, with no arrests being made. 

The device is said to have been wiped remotely by the PDS.  

The cases emerged after Metro.co.uk revealed how MPs and Lords reported almost three dozen personal devices lost or stolen in the year up to November 2022.  

The IT kit included iPads, phones, laptops and a desktop. 

The House of Commons disclosed that two iPads were lost in taxis and the same number on airplanes, with a Lord reporting that a laptop had ‘gone missing’ at an airport.  

In the earlier disclosures, it was not stated which items were stolen.

Devices supplied by the PDS to passholders are encrypted, according to the Commons’ Information Compliance Team.  

A UK Parliament spokesperson said: ‘Parliament takes cyber security extremely seriously. We have robust measures in place and work closely with partners in the National Cyber Security Centre.

‘We provide advice to users to make them aware of the risks and how to manage their digital safety, however we do not comment on specific details of our cyber security policies or incidents.’

Metro.co.uk has approached the Met Police for comment. 

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