§ Mr. BeithTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Bill implements the recommendation in paragraph 65 of the 1999 report of the Commissioner for the Interception of Communications relating to sections 6 and 7 of the Official Secrets Act 1989. [130945]
§ Mr. StrawClause 18 of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Bill implements the recommendation in paragraph 65 of the report. It imposes a duty on all those involved in the interception of communications in obedience to a warrant to keep secret the existence and contents of a warrant and anything done in pursuance to it. It also creates a criminal offence where a person makes a disclosure to another of anything that he is required to keep secret, and sets out certain statutory defences.