Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department (a) received and (b) granted requests to provide communications data on (i) lawyers, (ii) journalists and (iii) Members of the Northern Ireland Assembly in each of the last five years.

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.