§ Mr. JenkinTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions have been instituted for illegal telephone tapping since the coming into force of the Interception of Communications Act 1985.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeThe Interception of Communications Act 1985 came into force on 10 April 1986. From 1986 to 1991 there have been six prosecutions under section 1(1) of the Act. Information collected centrally does not identify whether the communications were by post or by means of public telecommunication systems.