Written question asked by Laurence Robertson (Conservative) on Tuesday, 10 February 2015, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 23 February 2015 (named day). It was answered by James Brokenshire (Conservative) on Monday, 23 February 2015 on behalf of the Home Office.

Cryptography

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential cost to businesses of prohibiting the use of strong encryption; and if she will make a statement.

Answer: The Home Office have received a number of representations from members of the
public on encryption. This Government supports the use of encryption, which
helps keep personal data and intellectual property safe. It is also vital that
the security and intelligence agencies can access unencrypted data to prevent
threats to our national security, when it is necessary and proportionate to do
so. We will continue to engage with industry regarding these issues.

Secondary information