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Serious Crime Bill [HL]

My Lords, I have dialled this telephone number before and it will be no surprise to your Lordships to hear that I support the amendment. I, too, find it amazing that we are the only major developed country in the world not to use this sort of evidence in court. I am of course very sensitive to the fact that the government agencies which procure this type of evidence and those who assist them are, for understandable reasons, very cautious in protecting some of their methods. But, as the noble Earl, Lord Onslow, has just said, this is a permissive power. If highly sensitive sources are used, there is no need to put them at risk in any trial. The noble Baroness, Lady Park of Monmouth, made an impassioned plea and I recognise the depth of feeling that she evinces. However, I am not a stranger to the inner workings of security operations, and, as the noble and learned Lord, Lord Lloyd of Berwick, said at some length—I shall not repeat it, save to align my views with his—if current-serving very senior law enforcement officers who are in touch with those agencies support the amendment, I think we should listen to them. He mentioned the DPP but he could have mentioned the current Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police and previous commissioners; he could have gone through a litany of those who, in other debates in your Lordships’ House, have been paraded. I believe that the amendment would lead to a measure which we seriously need, and I support it.