Written question asked by Helen Jones (Labour) on Monday, 22 March 1999, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 25 March 1999. It was answered by Jack Straw (Labour) on Thursday, 25 March 1999 on behalf of the Home Office.

Home Office

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans he has to amend the Interception of Communications Act 1985 to make the monitoring of internal telephone calls in the workplace an offence if done without the employee's consent. - Includes ref to 2 September 1998 at 317 c712-932 and copy of these guidelines in the Library.

Answer: Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to amend the Interception of Communications Act 1985 to make the monitoring of internal telephone calls in the workplace an offence if done without the employee's consent. [78493] Mr. Straw: During the Criminal Justice (Terrorism and Conspiracy) Bill debate in this House on 2 September 1998, Official Report, column 749, I announced that I had put in hand a comprehensive review of the interception regime, and that a consultation document on this would be published in due course. The consultation document will address the issue of interception on private telephone networks which was the subject of a judgment of the European Court of Human Rights in the case of Halford v United Kingdom. Legislation will be introduced at the earliest available opportunity. In the meantime, the Government will shortly issue guidance, explaining to operators of non-public networks, the steps that they should take in order to give effect to the judgment and to ensure, as far as possible, that such a breach does not recur. I shall place a copy of these guidelines in the Library.

Secondary information

Type: Written question
Reference: 78493; 328 c385-6W
Session: 1998-99
Subjects: Conditions of employment Monitoring Staff Telephone tapping Telephones
Legislation: Interception of Communications Act 1985