§ Norman BakerTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy to publish annually the number of interceptions of communications he approves under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000. [188052]
§ Mr. StrawNo. The Annual Reports of the independent Interception of Communications Commissioner publish the numbers of interception warrants issued by my right hon. Friends the Home Secretary and the First Minister in Scotland. In line with longstanding policy, endorsed by successive Interception Commissioners, the figures for warrants issued by the Foreign Secretary and the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland are not published. The reasons are explained in the latest Annual Report published on 22 July 2004 (HC883).