Government announces review of surveillance powers

Smith: announcing consultation

Home secretary Jacqui Smith has announced a review of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA) after widespread criticism of surveillance powers being used in trivial circumstances.

RIPA gives local authorities the power to acquire and intercept communications data and perform covert surveillance.

The act was intended as a tool to combat terrorism, but a freedom of information request by the Liberal Democrats last month revealed the powers had been used to investigate offences including dog fouling, littering, illegal street trading, taxi overcharging and taking the fairy lights from a Christmas tree.

Smith proposed that senior officials, such as elected councillors, should oversee the way local authorities use RIPA to ensure the powers are used properly.

"The government has absolutely no interest in spying on law-abiding people going about their everyday lives. I don't want to see these powers being used to target people for putting their bins out on the wrong day or for dog fouling offences," she said.

The consultation includes draft replacement codes of practice on use of the powers and details about all the public authorities able to use certain techniques under RIPA, including the ranks at which those techniques can be authorised and the purposes for which they can be used.

The government wants members of the public to say whether it is appropriate for these public authorities to be part of the RIPA framework.