My Lords, I am very pleased to be able to support my noble friend Lady Hamwee’s Bill and her absolute determination to close what is a clear gap in the legislation.

I am not a lawyer or any sort of expert on this. I am moved to speak today because my...

My Lords, I am very pleased to be able to support my noble friend Lady Hamwee’s Bill and her absolute determination to close what is a clear gap in the legislation.

I am not a lawyer or any sort of expert on this. I am moved to speak today because my...

My Lords, I will take just a moment to remind Members of the problem that I am trying to address with this amendment—that is, that the ability to intercept communications has leapt ahead of the regulations governing them. However, that is a very broad area and I think it is...

My Lords, I will take just a moment to remind Members of the problem that I am trying to address with this amendment—that is, that the ability to intercept communications has leapt ahead of the regulations governing them. However, that is a very broad area and I think it is...

My Lords, the Bill marks an important moment. It is the start of the turn of the tide from a very low point where sophisticated new technologies, fear of terrorism, authorities with little regard for privacy and a series of illiberal Home Secretaries combined to make the UK ““surveillance Britain””...

My Lords, the Bill marks an important moment. It is the start of the turn of the tide from a very low point where sophisticated new technologies, fear of terrorism, authorities with little regard for privacy and a series of illiberal Home Secretaries combined to make the UK ““surveillance Britain””...

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to alter the management of undercover police operations targeting alleged domestic extremism; if so, how; and on what timescale.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to alter the management of undercover police operations targeting alleged domestic extremism; if so, how; and on what timescale.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the answer by Baroness Neville-Jones on 12 January (Official Report, col. 1402), whether HM Inspectorate of Constabulary or the Association of Chief Police Officers will undertake a review of lessons to be learnt from the use of undercover police officers.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the answer by Baroness Neville-Jones on 12 January (Official Report, col. 1402), whether HM Inspectorate of Constabulary or the Association of Chief Police Officers will undertake a review of lessons to be learnt from the use of undercover police officers.

This amendment would bring the Association of Chief Police Officers within the provision of the Freedom of Information Act. My reason for tabling it is that the Government are, in any case, looking at whether the FOI Act is wide enough in the organisations it covers. The Prime Minister opened...

This amendment would bring the Association of Chief Police Officers within the provision of the Freedom of Information Act. My reason for tabling it is that the Government are, in any case, looking at whether the FOI Act is wide enough in the organisations it covers. The Prime Minister opened...

I am disappointed that we do not have an amendment from the Conservatives so that we could have a lively debate about their proposals for police authorities. I am sure that we can wait for another day for that. The difficulty that we face is that, given the state of...

I am disappointed that we do not have an amendment from the Conservatives so that we could have a lively debate about their proposals for police authorities. I am sure that we can wait for another day for that. The difficulty that we face is that, given the state of...

Before my noble friend comes back on her interesting and necessary point, under these collaborative arrangements, should it be necessary for a member of the public to know what the arrangements are, where to get redress, where to go in case of indemnity and so on, at the moment it...

Before my noble friend comes back on her interesting and necessary point, under these collaborative arrangements, should it be necessary for a member of the public to know what the arrangements are, where to get redress, where to go in case of indemnity and so on, at the moment it...

Amendment 5 5: After Clause 1, insert the following new Clause— "Freedom of information: ACPO The Secretary of State shall, within six months of this Act being passed, in exercise of his powers under section 5 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (c. 36) (further power to designate public...

Amendment 5 5: After Clause 1, insert the following new Clause— "Freedom of information: ACPO The Secretary of State shall, within six months of this Act being passed, in exercise of his powers under section 5 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (c. 36) (further power to designate public...

I am very grateful to the noble Baroness, Lady Hanham, who has put her finger so accurately on the point. We have discussed accountability in the Bill, and, as she says, we are about to discuss the statutory role of ACPO; yet the Minister is denying that it should be...

I am very grateful to the noble Baroness, Lady Hanham, who has put her finger so accurately on the point. We have discussed accountability in the Bill, and, as she says, we are about to discuss the statutory role of ACPO; yet the Minister is denying that it should be...

I will hold on to "anomaly" as something that I intend to build on. It is not a satisfactory position. I would not go so far as Henry Porter did in his article when he suggested that it is an immense conspiracy; but he raised a number of valid points...

I will hold on to "anomaly" as something that I intend to build on. It is not a satisfactory position. I would not go so far as Henry Porter did in his article when he suggested that it is an immense conspiracy; but he raised a number of valid points...

I thank all noble Lords who have spoken. I particularly thank the noble Lord, Lord Stoddart of Swindon, who has been very helpful in putting down Written Questions, and I am grateful for his excellent contribution today. He made many points with which I totally agree. My noble friend Lady...

I thank all noble Lords who have spoken. I particularly thank the noble Lord, Lord Stoddart of Swindon, who has been very helpful in putting down Written Questions, and I am grateful for his excellent contribution today. He made many points with which I totally agree. My noble friend Lady...

Many Members of the Committee will have read the interview with the new Home Secretary, Alan Johnson, in today’s Times, in which he refers to the fact that the Government have been coasting on ASBOs and that they are going to take a new, proactive approach. Presumably that means that...

Many Members of the Committee will have read the interview with the new Home Secretary, Alan Johnson, in today’s Times, in which he refers to the fact that the Government have been coasting on ASBOs and that they are going to take a new, proactive approach. Presumably that means that...

My Lords, it is customary to say that reports are powerful but this report is the most powerful that, in the 11 years that I have been in this House, I have seen from any committee in either House. Its power comes from the fact that it delves into the...

My Lords, it is customary to say that reports are powerful but this report is the most powerful that, in the 11 years that I have been in this House, I have seen from any committee in either House. Its power comes from the fact that it delves into the...

Lords debate on Queen's speech (fourth day) on home, legal and constitutional affairs.

Lords debate on Queen's speech (fourth day) on home, legal and constitutional affairs.

My Lords, does the Minister accept that there is a big difference between that information as it is currently held by the providers and the state holding it somewhere such as, for example, GCHQ?

My Lords, does the Minister accept that there is a big difference between that information as it is currently held by the providers and the state holding it somewhere such as, for example, GCHQ?

My Lords, a good starting point for this part of the Government’s legislative programme would have been The National Security Strategy of the United Kingdom—Security in an Interdependent World, published by the Cabinet Office in March this year. As the Minister will know, that document identified threats and problems that...

My Lords, a good starting point for this part of the Government’s legislative programme would have been The National Security Strategy of the United Kingdom—Security in an Interdependent World, published by the Cabinet Office in March this year. As the Minister will know, that document identified threats and problems that...

My Lords, we on these Benches support this moderate amendment. In view of how little time we had to peruse the document that the Minister’s department sent through this morning, it would be helpful if the Minister could assure us that he will take the amendment away and consider returning...

My Lords, we on these Benches support this moderate amendment. In view of how little time we had to peruse the document that the Minister’s department sent through this morning, it would be helpful if the Minister could assure us that he will take the amendment away and consider returning...