HC Deb 29 June 1999 vol 334 cc102-4W
Mr. Baker

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will make a statement on the relative increases between 1997 and 1998 on the number of Warrants issued by the (i) Secretary of State for the Home Department and (ii) the Secretary of State for Scotland under the Interception of Communications Act 1985; [88720]

(2) what reasons underlie the increase in warrants allowing interception of telecommunications issued by him in 1998 under the Interception of Communications Act 1985. [88719]

Mr. Straw

In his annual report for 1998, the Interception Commissioner records that the substantial increase in interception is due to the continuing incidence of large-scale crime and the greater interception facilities available to meet it. He was satisfied that the strict statutory criteria continued to be applied.

He further recorded that the police and Her Majesty's Customs and Excise, assisted in some cases by the security and intelligence agencies, have had many outstanding successes; and that interception of communications remains an effective and an essential operation in the interests of national security and of safeguarding the economic well being of the United Kingdom, and in the prevention and detection of serious crime. Examples of the value of interception in the fight against serious crime are given in the consultation paper on interception of communications which I published on 22 June.

Mr. Baker

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many warrants issued under the Interception of Communications Act 1985 and in force on 31 December 1998 had as their justification (i) the prevention or detection of serious crime, (ii) the interests of national security and (iii) the safeguarding of the economic well-being of the UK; and how many warrants were issued which did not cite one of the above three reason as its justification; [88718]

Number of effective calls transferred to each regional office TEB by 0990 service
Date Belfast Glasgow Liverpool London Newport Peterborough Total
1997
May 4,730 18,540 27,037 16,502 27,987 21,448 116,244
June 6,545 21,216 26,665 19,283 29,634 22,795 126,138
July 5,044 17,353 25,740 38,452 29,496 16,767 132,852
August 4,465 14,687 19,439 29,086 23,472 15,409 106,558
September 4,094 14,350 22,954 22,273 27,983 19,373 111,027
October 2,728 15,885 20,255 18,459 25,501 19,201 102,029
November 1,191 12,561 14,228 8,525 19,094 15,850 71,449
December 1,555 11,582 15,532 8,559 18,907 14,784 70,919
1998
January 3,302 15,235 21,880 11,447 33,414 22,802 107,090
February 2,040 15,378 21,855 13,224 32,441 21,587 106,525
March 4,493 19,367 28,962 14,805 40,089 23,573 131,289
April 6,092 17,774 24,836 13,573 37,546 19,817 119,638
May 7,848 19,042 24,840 18,216 38,829 16,098 124,873
June 11,984 18,383 26,128 16,440 34,901 14,860 122,696
July — — — — — — 0
August 7,769 18,861 19,732 13,163 28,431 17,507 105,463
September 7,771 18,472 4,346 23,971 35,233 19,356 109,149
October — — — — — — 0
November 6,707 18,246 14,744 27,337 26,011 11,673 104,718
December 801 12,047 12,283 17,077 18,022 12,988 73,218
1999
January 1,948 16,829 15,820 23,017 24,558 21,041 103,213
February 2,118 17,315 12,929 20,503 26,762 21,460 101,087
March 3,171 21,262 9,100 32,412 27,148 22,338 115,431
April 4,430 16,987 5,882 12,964 21,812 15,234 77,309
May 4,564 13,549 4,411 10,212 59,798 86,662 101,196

(2) how many warrants have been (a) applied for and (b) granted under the Interception of Communications Act 1985, where the justification given was to safeguard the economic well-being of the United Kingdom and where the intended target was a UK citizen or citizens. [88721]

Mr. Straw

The Annual Report of the Commissioner appointed under the Interception of Communications Act 1985, published on 17 June, records the number of interception warrants issued annually by the Home Secretary and the Secretary of State for Scotland. Paragraph 29 of the Report gives the reasons for not providing further information concerning the purpose for which warrants were issued. I consider that it remains in the public interest to follow the established practice and not to provide any more detailed breakdown of the figures in the Commissioner's Report. No warrant may be, or has been, issued unless it is considered necessary to do so in the interests of national security; for the purpose of preventing or detecting serious crime or for the purpose of safeguarding the economic well-being of the United Kingdom.