Report of the Interception of Communications Commissioner - July 2016
Statistics for Interception Warrants
6.37 There are no statistical requirements in the Code of Practice. For some time we have
highlighted this fact and made clear that we would welcome the inclusion of statistical
requirements into the Code of Practice to improve transparency and accountability in this
area.34 In the absence of any codified requirements, we have worked with the interception
agencies and warrant issuing departments, to provide some statistical information about
how the powers under Chapter 1 of Part 1 of RIPA are being used.
6.38 Figure 2 shows the number of new interception warrants issued in each of the
years 2013-2015 for the nine interception agencies. The total number of warrants issued
during 2015 was 3059, an increase of 9% on 2014.
6.39 Figure 3 details the breakdown by statutory necessity purpose of the 3059
interception warrants issued in 2015. The combination category represents those few
warrants that were authorised for more than one statutory purpose. The vast majority of
the serious crime warrants fall into one of the following five categories: unlawful supply
of controlled drugs, firearms, financial crime (such as money laundering), armed robbery
and human trafficking.
Figure 2 Total number of interception warrants issued 2013-2015
3500
3059
3000
2500
2760
2795
2013
2014
2000
1500
1000
500
0
2015
34 See for example our evidence to David Anderson QC http://www.iocco-uk.info/docs/2014-12-5(2)%20
IOCCO%20Evidence%20for%20the%20Investigatory%20Powers%20Review.pdf and our evidence to the
Joint Committee scrutinising the Investigatory Powers Bill http://www.iocco-uk.info/docs/IOCCO%20
Evidence%20for%20the%20IP%20Bill%20Joint%20Committee.pdf.
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