2013 Annual Report of the Interception of Communications Commissioner
6.2.3 Additional inspectors. Soon after I was appointed, I reviewed how my office was
set up, how it worked and how we carried out our inspections. The Joint Parliamentary
Committee which scrutinized the then proposed draft Communications Data Bill6 also
recommended that my office should inspect the public authorities that acquire larger
volumes of communications data at least annually. As a result, I decided it was necessary
to increase the number of inspectors from 5 to 8. Three additional inspectors have been
recruited and are now in post, having undertaken the necessary training. We moved to
annual inspections from January 2014.
6.2.4 Communications data and prison resources. The staff resources now available
to me for communications data and prison inspection purposes are sufficient to enable
me to carry out my functions properly in those respects. The inspectors are independent,
highly skilled and experienced in the principles and detail of the acquisition and disclosure
of communications data and in interception of communications in prisons.
6.2.5 The inspectors have been recruited from a wide variety of backgrounds, and bring
with them a broad range of experience working with police forces, law enforcement
agencies, industry regulators, universities and telecommunications related private
organisations. Their experience covers everything from analytical expertise, criminal
and counter-terrorism investigations, forensic telecommunications, to training and
lecturing in both the technical and legislative aspects of communications data and covert
investigations and acting as accredited SPoCs, SROs and DPs.
6.2.6 They report in writing on each individual inspection and I read and comment on
all these reports. The reports systematically address the requirements of the statute, the
Code of Practice or relevant prison service policy and make detailed recommendations
where the inspections reveal non-compliance. The system and inspections are covered
in more detail in Sections 4 and 7 of this report.
6.2.7 Interception of communications resources. I have concluded that to undertake
my present statutory functions properly, I need one additional inspector with appropriate
technical experience. Steps are being taken to recruit such a person.
6.2.8 There are also certain respects in which the accommodation and technical
facilities available to me are not yet sufficient or appropriate. I consider that a team
of 8 communications data and prison inspectors and 3 interception inspectors (the
Chief Inspector, the additional inspector and myself), can properly undertake the
interception inspections and the other related work we currently do provided that we
have accommodation and technical facilities which enable us to work efficiently and
without interruption. The situation at present does not allow us to do so. For example,
sensitive systems to which we need access are housed in another part of the building;
there is insufficient space in our office for sensitive work to be undertaken efficiently; and
access to our office is unnecessarily difficult for our inspectors or others that we need to
help us periodically. There is also the fact that, despite being entirely independent, we are
6 Draft Communications Data Bill Session 2012/13 – HL Paper 79, HC 479 recommendation at paragraph 310.
See also The Intelligence and Security Committee’s report in February 2013 “Access to communications
data by the intelligence and security agencies” Cm 8514 at paragraph 71.
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