HC Deb 22 February 1980 vol 979 c567W
Mr. Whitehead

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many warrants were issued last year by the Home Secretary for the interception of mail.

Mr. Whitelaw

As I made clear in answers to questions on 31 January, successive Governments have, in the national interest, made it their practice not to give figures on the extent of interception, in accordance with the recommendation in paragraph 165 of the Birkett report (Cmnd. 283).