Report of the Interception of Communications Commissioner - July 2016

1 from poor to good). In 13 public authorities the rating dropped (10 from good to
satisfactory, 1 from good to poor & 2 from satisfactory to poor).
7.51

Over two thirds of the 366 recommendations fell into seven principal categories:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

Quality of applications
Record keeping
DP independence
DP considerations
SPoC efficiency and effectiveness
Sensitive professions
Errors

Figure 15 Total Red, Amber & Green recommendations from communications data
inspections 2013-2015
500

203

300

103

139

134

200

100

0

3

2

177

192

203
1

19

15

29

2013

2014

2015

75
inspections

90
inspections

72
inspections

per inspection

4
average no. of recommendations

total number of recommendations

400

5

7.52 Quality of applications (52 recommendations). During our inspections we
identified applications which did not sufficiently justify why it was necessary and / or
proportionate to acquire the communications data, in particular cases where:
•
•

the applicant did not make clear how the communications identifier was
linked to an enquiry;
the wrong statutory necessity purpose had been specified in the application,

www.iocco-uk.info

59

Select target paragraph3