§ Mr. AltonTo ask the Prime Minister if he will make a statement concerning Her Majesty's Government's policy regarding the tapping of telephones of members of the royal family or their personal friends.
§ The Prime Minister[holding answer 19 January 1993]: The interception of communications during their transmission by means of a public telephone system is subject to the provisions of the Interception of Communications Act 1985. The Government have accepted Sir David Calcutt's recommendation to consider whether the legislation adequately protects private telephone calls. As my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for National Heritage assured the House in his statement on 14 January, there is no substance to rumours about the involvement of the security and intelligence agencies in interception of the communications of the royal family.