§ The Earl of Northeskasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they support fully the current draft of the treaty on Internet crime prepared by the Council of Europe. [HL4667]
§ Lord Bassam of BrightonThe Government are committed to action against hi-tech crime in line with our twin objectives of making the United Kingdom the best and safest place in the world to conduct and engage in e-commerce.
We fully support the aims of the Cybercrime Convention that is currently being drafted in the Council of Europe and consider this to be an important international instrument. The convention is intended to provide States with a common criminal policy aimed at the protection of society against cybercrime. It requires Contracting Parties to adopt appropriate legislation and to provide arrangements for fast and reliable international co-operation. It will also ensure that a proper balance is maintained between the interests of law enforcement and respect for fundamental human rights.
While the Government are generally content with the current draft of the convention, a final decision will not be made until it is completed at the end of this year.