After each inspection, my inspectors write a detailed inspection report and action plan
stating the findings and recommendations. This is sent to the head of the interception
agency and is copied to the relevant Secretary of State and warrant-granting department.
Inspections of the four main warrant-granting departments are slightly different from
inspections of the intercepting agencies. The warrant-granting departments are a source
of independent advice to the Secretary of State and perform important pre-authorisation
scrutiny of warrant applications and renewals to ensure that they are (and remain)
necessary and proportionate. The emphasis during the warrant-granting department
inspections is on the integrity of the authorisation process and the level of challenge
applied to the warrants by the Secretaries of State and their officials. After each inspection
of a warrant-granting department, my inspectors compile a detailed inspection report
and action plan stating the findings and recommendations. This is sent to the relevant
Secretary of State.
Inspection Reports. After each inspection, my inspectors produce a report. In general,
these will include:
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an assessment of how far the recommendations from the previous inspection
have been achieved;
a summary of the number and type of interception documents selected for
inspection, including a detailed list of those warrants;
detailed comments on all warrants selected for further examination and
discussion during the inspection;
an assessment of the errors reported to my office during the inspection period;
an account of the examination of the retention, storage and destruction
procedures;
an account of other policy or operational issues which the agency or warrantgranting departments raised during the inspection;
an assessment of how any material subject to legal professional privilege (or
otherwise confidential material) has been handled;
a number of recommendations aimed at improving compliance and
performance. I require the interception agency or warrant-granting department
to inform IOCCO within two months of what progress has been made against
these; and
an overall assessment of the interception agency’s or warrant-granting
department’s level of compliance with RIPA.
Number of inspections. In 2016, IOCCO moved from a biannual inspection regime to an
annual one. I now inspect all nine interception agencies once and the four main warrantgranting departments twice. This, together with extra visits to GCHQ, made a total of 22
inspection visits last year. In addition, I and my inspectors arrange other ad hoc visits to
agencies. As a point of principle, I inspect each warrant-granting department after the
interception agencies for which it is responsible. This provides an opportunity for us to
discuss the findings and recommendations from the interception agencies’ inspections
with the warrant-granting departments. In addition to the annual inspections, there are
a number of additional visits and a large amount of correspondence throughout the year.
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