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Newspapers: Surveillance Methods

My Lords, this is not a surveillance state—if I may get that comment in. This has nothing to do with the state. This is to do with private individuals breaking the law. We have very strict rules indeed governing our surveillance. However, I absolutely take the force of the argument. As I have said, I believe that we should inform people. Assistant Commissioner John Yates said that there was insufficient evidence to establish that tapping had been achieved and that, where there was evidence, people were contacted. In a sense, he is saying that if there was insufficient evidence, people were not told. If there is a suspicion that people were being tapped, I think that they should be told. This is an operational matter. I believe that they should be told and I shall be in a dialogue to see exactly how we proceed on this. I would jolly well like to know if some blighter was trying to do that to me. Even though there may not be sufficient evidence to take him to court, I should like to know if someone was trying to tap me. That is how we will go forward on this.