§ Mr. George HowarthTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance he has issued on the methods of listening to telephone calls made on mobile and cordless telephones which are classified as interceptions under the Interception of Communications Act 1985 following the definition of the interception of a telephone call in the Court of Appeal in R v. Ahmed (29 March 1994) and the Judicial Committee of the House of Lords in R v. Effik (1994). [18949]
§ Mr. HowardMy Department issued no such guidance in the light of those judgments.
§ Mr. HowarthTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what protection exists for citizens in respect of listening to telephone calls made on mobile and cordless telephones by a method falling outside that covered by the Interception of Communications Act 1985; and what assessment he has made of the compatibility of such protection with the Government's obligations under the provisions of articles 8 and 13 of the European convention on human rights. [18950]
§ Mr. HowardSection 5 of the Wireless Telegraphy Act 1949 makes it an offence to use wireless telegraphy intending to obtain information as to the contents, sender or addressee of any message or to disclose any such information except in certain specified circumstances.
I am satisfied that the Government's obligations under articles 8 and 13 of the European convention on human rights are met in respect of the interception of communications.