Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) prosecutions and (b) convictions there have been as a direct result of information gained by police forces from covert human intelligence sources in the last 12 months.

The use of covert human intelligence sources by police forces, and the intelligence derived from this use, plays an important role in the prevention and detection of crime, and is subject to strict authorisation controls and oversight through the Office of Surveillance Commissioners, as detailed in the Covert Human Intelligence Sources Code of Practice.

Intelligence derived from covert human intelligence sources is frequently combined with intelligence and evidence from other sources to build a case for prosecutions and convictions. It is not therefore currently possible to say how many prosecutions and convictions resulted from intelligence gained from covert human intelligence sources alone, since such information will almost always form part of an overall intelligence picture. It is an operational matter for individual police forces to ensure that their use of covert human intelligence sources is effective. Law enforcement agencies must demonstrate that their use is both necessary and proportionate, and must ensure they comply with the Covert Human Intelligence Sources Code of Practice.

Available statistics and analysis on the use of covert human intelligence sources, including the number of covert human intelligence sources authorisations, are provided in the Chief Surveillance Commissioner’s annual report.