Asked by: Lord Watson of Wyre Forest (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has issued any authorisations under section 42(3) of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 which permit intrusive surveillance by unmanned aircraft systems in the UK.
Answered by James Brokenshire
As a matter of long-standing practice we do not comment on the operational use
of covert surveillance, or provide a breakdown of the number of warrants signed
by particular Secretaries of State, or in relation to specific circumstances or
methods of surveillance.
Existing regulation relating to surveillance includes the surveillance camera
code of practice issued under the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012, which
provides a framework of good practice for surveillance camera operators and
sets out obligations arising from other legislation including those for the
processing of personal data under the Data Protection Act 1998 and a public
authority's duty to adhere to the Human Rights Act 1998. Any covert
surveillance undertaken by a public authority which is likely to obtain private
information would be subject to authorisation under the Regulation of
Investigatory Powers Act 2000 (RIPA).
Asked by: Lord Watson of Wyre Forest (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has issued any exemptions pursuant to section 28 of the Data Protection Act 1998 which apply to data obtained via unmanned aircraft systems in the UK.
Answered by James Brokenshire
It has been the position of successive Governments to not comment on national security issues.
Asked by: Lord Watson of Wyre Forest (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the purpose and scope of the current trials of the Aeryon Skyranger unmanned system based in Gatwick are; if she will publish policy on the storage and use of data obtained in the course of such trials; and if she will make a statement. [R]
Answered by Damian Green
Sussex Constabulary is undertaking a trial of the Aeryon Skyranger to assess the contribution it might make to the policing of Gatwick Airport. This trial is an operational matter for the Chief Constable.
In determining the storage and use of data obtained through this trial, the force will be subject to a duty to have regard to the surveillance camera code of practice issued as guidance under the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012.
Asked by: Lord Watson of Wyre Forest (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 13 March 2014, Official Report, column 325W, on the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre, how many NCA employees who work in Child Exploitation and Online Protection Command have arrest powers.
Answered by Damian Green
[holding answer 20 March 2014]
I refer the Honourable Member to my reply of 13 March 2014, Official Report, column 326W.
The Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) Command is fully integrated within the National Crime Agency (NCA). As part of the NCA, the CEOP Command is able to draw on the whole of the NCA's resources. The NCA works as a flexible organisation and as such there will be NCA officers whose work covers a range of serious and organised crime threats.
In total the NCA has 1,900 officers who currently hold arrest powers who can be called upon to tackle child exploitation. This number is for NCA permanent officers and does not include secondees or those attached to the NCA.