Telephone Surveillance Warrants

HC Deb 25 October 1993 vol 230 cc458-9W

Mr. Redmond

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many telephone surveillance warrants have been signed in each of the past 24 months.

Mr. Howard

Statistics on the number of interception warrants issued by the Home Secretary and the Secretary of State for Scotland each year are published in the annual report of the Commissioner appointed under the Interception of Communications Act 1985. To give a more detailed breakdown would not be in the interests of national security or the prevention or detection of serious crime.