http://www.chestereveningleader.co.uk/latest-north-west-news/Council-has-never-used-bugging.3727733.jp
Published Date: 31 January 2008
Source: Press Association
Council 'has never used bugging'
Carlisle City Council chiefs said they have never made any attempt to
bug firms or individuals in an attempt to unearth criminal activity.
The assurance came following reports that some local authorities have
tapped phone calls to catch fly-tippers, benefit fraudsters and rogue traders.
An official report revealed that during the last nine months of 2006
there were more than 250,000 applications nationally to intercept
private communications under surveillance laws.
The requests came from the police, intelligence services and 122
local authorities which sought to obtain people's private
communications in more than 1,600 cases.
Senior council officers are given the power to authorise surveillance
in order to catch fly-tippers, benefit fraudsters and rogue traders
but a city council spokesman said they had never been exercised in Carlisle.
Politicians belonging to both major political parties have expressed
concern over the widespread use of tapping and intercepting phone
calls and e-mails.
Labour's David Winnick said greater legal protection was needed to
prevent abuse of surveillance powers.
He said: "Most of these operations are needed and done for good
reasons but the numbers do raise concerns about the safeguards we
have in place to protect people. To walk blindfolded into 1984 is not
anything that anybody in their right mind would want."
Tory Eric Pickles said he believed the use of surveillance powers
against suspected fly-tippers was completely over the top.
But the Local Government Association defended the use of the powers
against people who were "ruining the countryside or trying to take
the taxpayers for a ride".
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