§ The Earl of Northeskasked Her Majesty's Government:
What plans, if any, they have to review the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 in light of the fact that its legality under European Law is currently under investigation by the European Commission. [HL4475]
§ Lord Bassam of BrightonWe have no plans to revise the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 for the reasons suggested by the noble Earl. In accordance with the requirements of the Transparency Directive, the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Bill was notified to the European Commission on its introduction to Parliament in February of this year.
§ The Earl of Northeskasked Her Majesty's Government:
How they respond to the on-line poll on the YouGov website in which 75 per cent of respondents believed that civil liberties are being compromised by the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000. [HL4523]
9WA
§ Lord Bassam of BrightonThe Government believe that the Act is compatible with the European Convention on Human Rights. The Government note that the article about the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 (RIPA), dated 26 October, on which respondents to the YouGov poll were invited to comment, contains a number of factual inaccuracies and misconceptions. RIPA ensures that vital but intrusive law enforcement powers are properly and closely regulated. It also puts in place for the first time regulations governing the monitoring of employees' communications, together with a civil remedy for employees whose communications have been wrongly monitored who breach those regulations.