2013 Annual Report of the Interception of Communications Commissioner
2012 Report. They enabled me to become more familiar with the requirements of my
statutory role.
3.32 The second series of inspections was in the Autumn and Winter of 2013. For
these, we made some significant changes in our procedures as follows:
•
•
•
•
we increased the inspection time spent with each interception agency. Most
of the inspections ran over two days, the first of which we generally used
for reading warrantry and other documents in preparation for the second
day’s investigations. These investigations covered those selected operations
or warrants which required further explanation;
we carried out or continued a full investigation where necessary into matters
raised by media disclosures;
we instigated a thorough investigation of the arrangements in place for
the Retention, Storage and Destruction of intercepted material and related
communications data. (See paragraphs 3.48 to 3.57 for further detail);
we instituted what will now become our standard procedure of producing
a detailed written report and recommendations from each inspection. This
is sent to the Head of the relevant interception agency with a copy for the
relevant Secretary of State.
3.33 I also inspected the work of the senior officials and staff in the relevant parts of
the main Secretary of State departments at six monthly intervals. The officials provide
good support and advice to the Secretaries of State and are a channel of communication
and advice with the interception agencies. I visited the main warrant issuing Secretaries
of State at the end of the 2013 or early in 2014.
3.34 In addition to 26 interception inspections conducted in 2013, I also visited the
interception agencies on a number of occasions to follow up points arising from our
inspections or on other matters.
3.35 Examination of warrants. We inspect the systems in place for applying for
and issuing interception warrants under sections 8(1) and 8(4). We scrutinise what I
regard as a representative sample (chosen by me) of the warrantry paperwork. In this
context warrantry paperwork includes warrant applications, renewals, modifications,
cancellations and their associated instruments and schedules. Much of this is on paper,
but in some interception agencies we now have access to and personally interrogate the
computer systems that the agencies use. This enables us to audit the process from start
to end and to examine the product gained from the interception.
3.36 Samples. The total number of warrant applications specifically inspected
during the 26 interception inspections was approximately 600. The associated warrantry
paperwork in relation to these applications was also examined. This represents just over
one third of the number extant at the end of the year and one fifth of the total of new
warrants issued during the year.
10