§ Mr. Robin Corbettasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to figures published in annexe 2 to Cmnd. 9438 on the number of warrants issued to intercept telecommunications and letters, which Secretaries of State, other than those referred to in paragraph 10 of Cmnd. 9438, are authorised to sign such warrants; and for each year since 1980, how many such warrants have been authorised by individual Departments.
§ Mr. BrittanNo Secretaries of State other than those referred to in paragraph 10 of Cmnd. 9438 are responsible for the issue of warrants, though it remains the case, as was stated in paragraph 2 of Cmnd. 7873 of April 1980, that if the regular Secretary of State is ill or absent, the power may be exercised on his behalf by another Secretary of State, but this happens comparatively seldom. I do not intend to add to the figures given in annexe 2 to Cmnd. 9438.