§ Mr. BakerTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to his answer of 3 November 1997,Official Report, column 25, on how many occasions in 1996 a civil servant issued a warrant under section 4(1)(b) and section 6(1)(b) of the Interception of Communications Act 1985 and section 6(1)(b) of the Security Service Act 1989. [15722]
§ Mr. Straw[holding answer 17 November 1997]: In 1996, 74 warrants were issued under section 4(1)(b) of the Interception of Communications Act 1985 by senior officials of my Department acting upon the express authority of the Secretary of State because of the urgency of the application. It would not be in the public interest to provide figures in relation to warrants issued under the Intelligence Services Act 1994.