Tories slam spy watchdog's call to extend snoopers charter!

Bristol Conservatives have slammed calls by Sir Paul Kennedy, the Interception of Communications Commissioner, for local Councils to make more use of surveillance powers originally planned to counter terrorism.

The controversial plea is made in the Commissioner's latest annual report to Parliament on the collection and use last year of electronic data by public bodies.

In the year ended 31 December 2007, of 519,260 requests for the covert collection of communications data, 1,707 were made by local authorities under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 (RIPA).

Aside from the intelligence agencies MI5 and MI6, there are now almost 800 organisations entitled to apply for permission to 'snoop' on telephone conversations, emails and private correspondence through bugging or some other form of interception.

Tory Leader Councillor Richard Eddy said: "Law-abiding people accept the need for the police and security services to protect the public by gathering evidence on terrorism and organised crime.

"However, under Labour, the balance has become skewed too much in favour of an Orwellian state with Council bureaucrats and quangos able to spy on the people they are supposed to serve.

"We are already subject to some of the most intrusive levels of surveillance in the Western world. Bristol City Council certainly doesn't need any more encouragement to pry into people's lives, bug refuse bins or check up on the eligibility of children to attend local schools.

"Recent instances of Council snooping suggest that laws intended to safeguard civil liberties are increasingly being used to stifle and strangle them.

"On top of this, Labour now wants to extend surveillance powers to intercept people's internet use and is determined to impose an unworkable and expensive ID card scheme."

Back to Local News Index 13 August 2008