This report provides an update on the use of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 (RIPA) during the 2018/2019 financial year.

The Assistant Director of Legal and Democratic Services submitted a report updating the Committee on the use of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 (RIPA) during the 2018/2019 financial year.

The report noted that in the discharge of the Council’s statutory functions there might be circumstances when it was necessary to use RIPA for the purpose of preventing crime or disorder.  To date, the Council had made infrequent use of RIPA and recognised that there were usually less intrusive methods of obtaining information; this approach would continue where possible.  Two RIPA authorisations had been granted by the Magistrates Court during 2018/19, for test purchases during the Reading Festival and for test purchases for the sale of alcohol to underage persons.  No applications had been refused and no applications had been made for Communications Data or for Covert Human Intelligence Sources.

The Council’s RIPA Policy, attached to the report at Appendix A, described the legislation relating to covert law enforcement techniques and the procedures to be followed in using those techniques.

Resolved –

(1)     That the Council’s use of covert surveillance powers in the period April 2018 to March 2019 be noted;

(2)     That the Council’s policy on the use of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000, as set out at Appendix A, be endorsed.