Colum Eastwood

The Government assesses export licences against the Strategic Export Licensing Criteria. We will continue to monitor developments as part of the assessment process. The Foreign Secretary met with President Netanyahu in Israel on 14 July and pushed for an immediate ceasefire, the release of all hostages, the upholding of international law, and a rapid increase of aid into Gaza.

Spiking is an abhorrent crime and illegal in any form, whether through vape, food, drink or needle. The Government’s manifesto and the King’s Speech committed to strengthening spiking legislation to help the police better respond to this crime. We are currently working across Government to consider the best way to achieve that.

In addition, the Home Office is currently supporting a range of work to tackle spiking, including specific training for people working in the night-time economy, testing the efficacy of commercial drug test kits and supporting police intensification weeks to increase understanding and awareness of this crime.

As part of the criteria for a person to act as a referee to a passport application, His Majesty’s Passport Office requires that the referee must hold a passport that it can validate to confirm that person’s identity. In addition to British passport holders, Irish passport holders can act as a passport referee.

For a British passport holder, an automated check is conducted through the interface with HM Passport Office systems. However, this system interface is not in place for the external checks against the Irish passport database, and these checks can currently only be conducted through the manual input of information. However, a range of technical options are being explored to enable Irish passport holders to verify UK passport applications using the online verification system in due course.

The Investigatory Powers Commissioner's Office is the independent oversight body responsible for communications data authorisations.The most recent Information on the authorisation of investigatory powers, including the use of powers and number of authorisations obtained in relation to sensitive professions, is available in the Investigatory Powers Commissioner's Office Annual Report 2022 Annual Report of the Investigatory Powers Commissioner 2022 (ipco-wpmedia-prod-s3.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com)

The use of covert investigatory powers is subject to strong safeguards and robust independent oversight by the Investigatory Powers Commissioner, and authorisations must be consistent with the law. The Investigatory Powers Act 2016 outlines specific additional protections in respect of journalistic material and sources, as well as items subject to legal privilege.

The government is unable to confirm nor deny the existence of any specific authorisations granted under the Investigatory Powers Act 2016 (IPA) or the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 (RIPA).

Prior to March 2024 the Office for Communications Data Authorisations, headed by the Investigatory Power’s Commissioner, considered requests for communications data from law enforcement and public authorities. However, since March 2024, the Office for Communications Data Authorisations has become part of the Investigatory Powers Commissioner’s Office.

Figure 19.6 of the Investigatory Powers Commissioner’s Office’s annual report 2022 refers to statistics for communications data authorisations involving members of a sensitive profession between 2018 and 2022. These are statistics for the whole of the UK, not specific to Northern Ireland.

Oversight of the use of Investigatory Powers is provided by the Investigatory Powers Commissioner’s Office who ensure that such use is necessary and proportionate, and used in accordance with the law.

There are ongoing Investigatory Powers Tribunal proceedings in relation to the alleged surveillance of journalists in Northern Ireland. As such it would be inappropriate to comment further or to consider other routes of investigation until those proceedings have concluded.