| answer text |
<p>The Government’s position on the Wilson Doctrine was set out by the Prime Minister
in a written ministerial statement made on 4 November 2015.</p><p>As the Prime Minister
made clear, the Wilson Doctrine has never been an absolute bar to the targeted interception
of the communications of Members of Parliament or an exemption from the legal regime
governing interception. The Doctrine recognised that there could be instances where
interception might be necessary.</p><p>The Prime Minister announced that as matter
of policy the PM will be consulted should there ever be a proposal to target any UK
Parliamentarian’s communications under a warrant issued by a Secretary of State. This
applies to Members of Parliament, members of the House of Lords, the Scottish Parliament,
the Northern Ireland Assembly, the Welsh Assembly and UK members of the European Parliament.
It applies to all activity authorised by a warrant issued by a Secretary of State:
any instance of targeted interception and, electronic surveillance and equipment interference,
when undertaken by the Security and Intelligence Agencies. This is in addition to
the rigorous safeguards already in the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000
(RIPA) and the Code of Practice issued under it which set out a series of robust safeguards
for any instance of interception.</p><p>It is long standing policy of successive Governments
neither to confirm nor deny any specific activity by the Security and Intelligence
Agencies. Under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 it is an offence for
anyone to identify an individual interception warrant or an individual interception
that takes place.</p>
|
|
