Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act

HC Deb 01 May 2001 vol 367 cc620-1W

Miss Widdecombe

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement about the operation of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000. [159980]

Mr. Straw

Implementation of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 (RIPA) is not yet complete. The interception (Part I Chapter I), covert surveillance (Part II) and oversight and complaints provisions (Part IV) of the Act were brought into force by the end of October 2000. The intention is to commence the outstanding provisions governing the acquisition of communications data in Part I Chapter II, and those governing access to protected electronic data in Part III of the Act, by the end of 2001.

As with all new legislation, the Government will keep RIPA under review. In particular, the Government have undertaken to review the provisions in Parts I and III of the Act in order properly to assess their effectiveness and their impact on business.