Issue - meetings

The committee received a report of the Group Head of Democracy and Governance.  This noted that in the last year the council had not had recourse to the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA) for directed surveillance.  The Investigatory Powers Commissioner’s Office had undertaken a remote inspection on 29 March 2021 and concluded that it was content with the council’s policy and its compliance with previous recommendations.  A further recommendation that refresher training be carried out for authorised officers, including the Managing Director, had been completed in the previous week.

There was a discussion around the council’s limited use of RIPA.  The Group Head of Democracy and Governance explained that the council’s powers were limited.  Under the Protection of Freedoms Act, local authorities could only use directed surveillance for offences likely to result in a six month custodial sentence or those relating to the underage sale of tobacco or alcohol.  The authority dealt with few such cases.  In addition, in the past year members of the fraud team had been seconded to the Revenues and Benefits team to help distribute Covid grants.

RESOLVED –

that the committee notes:

1.                  that no RIPA authorisations have been made in this last financial year

2.                  the outcome of the remote inspection by IPCO on 29 March 2021.