Use of Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA) 2000

The request was successful.

Dear Sir or Madam,
Following reports in the media concerning the use of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA) 2000, I would like to know, since RIPA was passed:

1) On how many occasions Cotswold District Council has conducted an investigation, surveillance operation or made a request for an individual’s communication records (either internet or telecommunications) under the RIPA, by year,

2a) The dates that the individual requests were made,
2b) In each instance above: The type of investigation for which the request for surveillance was made (or a reason why the request or relating to offence evidence of which was being sought by means of the surveillance),
2c) In each instance above: The ethnicity and gender of the person targeted by the request,
2d) An indication if the target of the request resided outside of the council boundary area.

3) The total number of requests for each type of surveillance that have been rejected by an officer of the Council, by year.

Finally is it possible to tell me the following:
4) How many individuals within the authority are authorised to request surveillance/ information via RIPA, and what is their job description and/ or designated grade?

5) Have any employees in (or third parties working for) the authority ever been investigated or disciplined for the misuse or alleged misuse of a member of the public’s personal information that has been obtained using RIPA powers?

6) What safeguards are currently in place within your authority to prevent the illegitimate use/ misuse of personal/ communications information obtained via RIPA? This might involve an explanation of the processes are in place to ensure that officers, employees or consultants attached to the organisation, and concerned with such requests, cannot make illegitimate use of the RIPA legislation.

Yours faithfully,

Les Keene

FOI, Cotswold District Council

Dear Mr Keene,
Thank you for your FOI request.
This has been logged reference 14643, due for response 16th October 2014 (20 working days).

Kind regards

Michelle
Customer Services Advisor
Cotswold District Council
Telephone: 01285 623000
Email           : [email address]
Web            :  www.cotswold.gov.uk
 

show quoted sections

Mike Clark, Cotswold District Council

Thank you for your Freedom of Information enquiry about RIPA (our ref
14643) . The answers to your questions are shown below.

 

1) On how many occasions Cotswold District Council has conducted an
investigation, surveillance operation or made a request for an
individual’s communication records (either internet or telecommunications)
under the RIPA, by year,   - None

2a) The dates that the individual requests were made, -   N/A

2b) In each instance above: The type of investigation for which the
request for surveillance was made (or a reason why the request or relating
to offence evidence of which was being sought by means of the
surveillance),   N/A

2c) In each instance above: The ethnicity and gender of the person
targeted by the request, -  N/A

2d) An indication if the target of the request resided outside of the
council boundary area.

- N/A

 

3) The total number of requests for each type of surveillance that have
been rejected by an officer of the Council, by year.

 

N/A

 

Finally is it possible to tell me the following:

4) How many individuals within the authority are authorised to request
surveillance/ information via RIPA, and what is their job description and/
or designated grade?

 

Six officers are designated as authorising officers – Chief Executive;
Strategic Director (Resources); Head of Legal and Property Services; Head
of Public Protection; Head of Environmental Services; Compliance Manager
(Revenues and Benefits)

 

5) Have any employees in (or third parties working for) the authority ever
been investigated or disciplined for the misuse or alleged misuse of a
member of the public’s personal information that has been obtained using
RIPA powers?

 

No

 

6) What safeguards are currently in place within your authority to prevent
the illegitimate use/ misuse of personal/ communications information
obtained via RIPA?  This might involve an explanation of the processes are
in place to ensure that officers, employees or consultants attached to the
organisation, and concerned with such requests, cannot make illegitimate
use of the RIPA legislation.

 

The Council has robust RIPA procedure guide and it would not be possible
for an individual to obtain communications information without going
through various senior managers and the Head of Legal and Property
Services.

 

 

 

If you are unhappy  with the service you have received in relation to your
request and wish to make a complaint you should write to The Monitoring
Officer, Cotswold District Council, Trinity Road, Cirencester,
Gloucestershire GL7 1PX.

 

If you are not content with the outcome of your complaint, you may apply
directly to the Information Commissioner for a decision. Generally the ICO
cannot make a decision unless you have exhausted the complaints procedure
provided by the Council. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at:
The Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane,
Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF.

 

Mike Clark

 

 

Mike Clark

Corporate Planning Manager

Cotswold District Council

Website: [1]www.cotswold.gov.uk

Email: [2][email address]

Tel: 01285 623000

 

 

 

Mike Clark

Corporate Planning Manager

Cotswold District Council

Website: [3]www.cotswold.gov.uk

Email: [4][email address]

Tel: 01285 623000

 

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References

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