The Head of Law & Governance has submitted a report to note the Council’s use of the investigatory powers for the year 2017/18 and to approve the Council’s amended policy and procedure document.

Recommendations:That the City Executive Board resolves to:

1.    Note the Council’s non use of the investigatory powers for the year 2017/18;

2.    Determine, in the light of recommendation 1,  whether there is continued merit in the Head of Law and Governance formally reporting annually to full Council the usage of Regulatory of Investigatory powers in any year when the powers have not been utilised; and

3.    Adopt the Council’s RIPA Policy and Procedure as amended.

The Head of Law & Governance had submitted a report to note the Council’s use of the investigatory powers for the year 2017/18 and to approve the Council’s amended policy and procedure document.

The Chair introduced the report which merely confirmed that the Council had not used the powers available to it under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 in the year 20I7/18 and that an Investigatory Powers Commissioner’s Office Inspection Report had been provided by His Honour Brian Barker CBE QC ( Assistant Surveillance Commissioner) in October 2017 which recommended a number of amendments to the Council’s RIPA Policy and Procedure.

The Monitoring Officer outlined the Assistant Surveillance Commissioner’s recommendations with regard to amendments to the RIPA Policy and Procedure and the need for an updated training programme for all Authorising and relevant officers.

In relation to the Policy and Procedure accompanying the report, the Monitoring Officer drew attention to a typographical error in the heading of section 3 and noted that the Council’s authorising officers detailed in section 4.2 should include the Executive Director  for  the Sustainable City rather than the Executive Director for Community Services.

Subject to those corrections the City Executive Board resolved to:

1.    Note the Council’s non use of the investigatory powers for the year 2017/18;

2.    Agree that there was no longer need for annual reports to full Council about the use of Regulatory of Investigatory powers in any year when the powers have not been utilised; and

3.    Adopt the Council’s RIPA Policy and Procedure as amended.