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Request

From 1st May 2008 to 1 February 2011

• How many new ministerial 鈥榬ed boxes鈥� have been purchased?
• What was the cost?
• How many 鈥榬ed boxes鈥� went out of use and why?
• Have there been any changes in the specifications for new 鈥榬ed boxes鈥�
• Have staff have received any notifications of new protocol or instructions on how to use the 鈥榬ed boxes鈥�, since 1st May 2010.

Disclosure

Ministers are permitted to use ordinary lockable briefcases to transport information which has been classified 鈥楥onfidential鈥� or below. For information with a higher security level (such as 鈥楽ecret鈥�) they are required to use dispatch boxes, which offer a higher level of security, and which are usually red. However a travel version of the despatch box is also available in black, which offers the same level of security as a red despatch box, but is designed to be less conspicuous. In practice Ministers use despatch boxes for transporting the majority of their documents due to the greater level of security they offer.

The following information covers all despatch boxes regardless of colour.

Between 1 May 2008 and 1 May 2009 the Treasury purchased six despatch boxes at a total cost of 拢4,212.36 and from 1 May 2009 to 1 May 2010 purchased one box for 拢865.43. No new boxes have been ordered since 1 May 2010.

The Treasury does not hold any information on the number of despatch boxes which may have gone out of service during this time period or about any changes to box specifications made during that time.

The Cabinet Office provides guidance to Departments on the appropriate use of despatch boxes as part of HMG鈥檚 Security Policy Framework. No new guidance has been issued since 1st May 2010.