Mobile phones issued to civil servants

FOI reference: FOI-2025-2663

You asked

I am requesting information regarding mobile phones issued to civil servants within your organisation over the past five years. Specifically, I seek the following details for each of the financial years 2019/20, 2020/21, 2021/22, 2022/23, and 2023/24:

1. Number of Mobile Phones Issued: The total number of mobile phones issued to civil servants within your organisation during each specified financial year.
2. Number Not Returned: The total number of mobile phones not returned to your department after civil servants left their employment in each specified financial year.
3. Number Remaining Active: The total number of mobile phones that remained active (i.e., connected to a network with ongoing service) after civil servants left their employment in each specified financial year, including the duration (in months) these phones remained active post-departure, if available.
4. Costs of Phones Not Returned or Remaining Active: a. The total cost of handsets for mobile phones that were not returned or remained active after civil servants left, broken down by year. b. The total cost of data and phone call charges incurred by these mobile phones after the civil servants' departure, broken down by year.

We said

Thank you for your request.

We issue mobile phones to staff only where they are essential for the individual’s role. Mobile phones are returned if an individual’s role changes, or upon them leaving the organisation as part of our leavers process. In instances where phones fail to be returned, several reminder letters are sent to the individual over a short period urging them to return it in the packaging provided for that purpose. If no response is received, a final letter is sent informing the individual that we will contact the police who will undertake a house visit to retrieve the phone when necessary. In addition, all mobile phones are remotely disabled immediately following an individual’s last day of service so they cannot be used.

Please see the information in scope of your request in the associated download.