Tom Watson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Watson on 2014-04-02.

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.

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).