Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with the government of the United States regarding the temporary halt of a range of surveillance powers in that country; and what assessment they have made of the impact of that halt for the United Kingdom intelligence services in the light of the forthcoming bill regarding communications data.

We have ongoing discussions with the US government on a full range of intelligence and security issues. The approval of the Freedom Act is a matter for the US government. With regard to the impact on our intelligence services of the temporary halt of a range of surveillance powers in the US, it is a long-standing policy of the British Government that we do not comment on intelligence matters. The Gracious Speech contained a commitment to bring forward legislation on communications data, and that legislation will extend to all of the investigatory powers covered in David Anderson’s review.