The MoD reported 217 laptops missing in 2008

Twenty-eight Ministry of Defence laptop computers went missing in the first part of this year, figures show.

They were lost or stolen from the department, Armed Forces Minister Bob Ainsworth said.

Four personal computers and 20 memory sticks also went missing and an adviser lost a BlackBerry e-mail device over the same period of 1 January to 11 May.

The MoD, which lost 217 laptops in 2008, said "robust procedures" were now in place to prevent such incidents.

In a written parliamentary reply, Mr Ainsworth said: "The MoD takes any loss of information and associated media storage devices very seriously."

He added: "New processes, instructions and technological aids are also being implemented to mitigate human errors and raise awareness of every individual in the department."

The announcement came as it emerged that Department of Health staff in England lost 22 BlackBerry devices and 18 mobile phones in 2008 and 2009.

Health Minister Ben Bradshaw said the information on a BlackBerry is protected by a strong password and can be remotely wiped after a loss is reported.

"Mobile phones lost will contain contact details but are unlikely to contain more sensitive information," he said.