§ Mrs. ClwydTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 12 February,Official Report, column 215, what foreign organisations are permitted to receive data from the UK Cellnet system under existing interception of communications agreements. [16802]
§ Mr. HowardThe United Kingdom is not a signatory to any international agreements expressly providing for material obtained by the interception of communications to be passed to foreign organisations. On occasion, overseas law enforcement agencies may apply, through Interpol, for information concerning the subscriber to a particular telephone number, and requests may be received from overseas prosecuting or judicial authorities for data to be used in evidence, in which case an application may be made to a court for it to be produced under the Criminal Justice (International Co-operation) Act 1990.
128WThe response by network operators to requests for data by foreign organisations is governed by their obligations regarding customer confidentiality under the Data Protection Act 1984, the Telecommunications Act 1984 and the terms of their operating licences.