Police: Surveillance

(asked on 1st June 2015) - View Source

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many requests were made by the police for access to communications data relating to investigations into (a) drug offences, (b) people trafficking, (c) fraud, (d) other organised crime, (e) pornography and paedophile offences and (f) other offences in the most recent year for which figures are available.


Answered by
John Hayes Portrait
John Hayes
This question was answered on 5th June 2015

Communications data is fundamental to investigating crime, safeguarding national security and protecting the public. The use of these powers is subject to stringent safeguards and is regulated by the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 (RIPA). The Interception of Communications Commissioner provides reports to the Prime Minister, which are published and laid in Parliament. These reports include statistics on the use of communications data powers by the police and other public authorities. The Commissioner’s report for 2014, which was published on 12 March 2015 (HC1113), includes a statistical breakdown, by police force, of the use of communications data powers and a breakdown of applications for communications data by statutory purpose. Beyond this, the Home Office does not collect statistics on public authority use of communications data. The recently updated Acquisition and Disclosure of Communications Data Code of Practice revised and enhanced the statistical obligations placed on public authorities. This includes reporting the purpose and (where relevant) crime type of each item of communications data included within every notice or authorisation.

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