People would be aware if laws designed to maintain police and security services' monitoring powers encroached further into their personal data, Theresa May said today.
The Home Secretary said she is willing to accept Labour's proposal for reports every six months by the Interception of Communications Commissioner on how the proposed emergency communications data laws operate.
Mrs May insisted this process would make it clear to people if the commissioner found any extension of powers, although she added she believed the changes would only maintain existing powers.
The Data Retention and Investigatory Powers Bill was announced last week after the Government warned innocent lives would be lost if it did not respond quickly to a European Court of Justice ruling.
The ruling had raised the prospect that telephone and internet companies could start deleting details of emails and phone calls that can be used to tackle terrorists and serious criminals.
The Government hopes to pass all stages of the legislation - that they say will maintain the police and security services' ability to monitor phone and internet data - i n the Commons today in an unprecedented step.
But MPs have warned efforts to rush the laws through Parliament are reminiscent of a rogue state making a mockery of parliamentary democracy.
Speaking during the second reading of the Bill, Mrs May was p ressed on what could be done by the Government if it later emerged the changes may extend surveillance powers.
Mrs May told Labour's Clive Betts (Sheffield South East): "There is no change to the definitions that are already in existence in terms of the communications data that it is possible to access.
"So that is why I say this is about actually replacing the situation that we have at the moment.
"And... I note the Opposition has tabled an amendment to suggest that there should be a six monthly review by the appropriate commissioner of the operation of this Bill.
"And I can indicate to the House that is an amendment we will be willing to accept so there is a process in place which will be to reassure people that the Bill is doing exactly what the Government is saying, namely that it is merely replacing the powers that are already in existence."
Mr Betts asked what would happen if the commissioner found concerns that the legislation has gone beyond the original powers.
Mrs May replied: "The way in which this is being proposed is that the commissioner would, as he currently does, report annually on these matters.
"The proposal from the Opposition as I understand it in their amendment is that he would report six monthly, so he would not just be looking at it, he would be reporting on what was happening.
"So if he were to find anything that was an extension of powers that would indeed be made clear to people.
"But I remain of the opinion, because this is what we intend, that this is purely about saying the powers we have today will be able to be continued in the future."
Earlier during the second reading, Mrs May was asked to back Labour's call to guarantee a wider review of the powers.
She told MPs in response to an intervention from Labour's Chris Bryant (Rhondda): "I'm happy to say that I recognise (shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper's) desire to put that review on the statute so that it is absolutely no question that that goes ahead.
"What I want to be clear about is indeed what that review covers and how we can ensure that it does the job that I think we all want it to do in terms of looking at capabilities and powers and setting the right regulatory framework.
"You say 'just say yes' but I don't say yes to an amendment if I don't think an amendment isn't actually technically going to deliver what it is everybody wants."
She added later: "I want to make sure that in looking in ensuring that we undertake that review that it is drafted in a way which delivers what I'm sure we all want to see being delivered and I thought that was entirely reasonable and that debate will take place at the time."
When MPs debated the time allotted to pass the emergency laws, Labour former election campaign chief Tom Watson said Parliament had been insulted, adding the moves were "democratic banditry resonant of a rogue state".
Veteran Labour MP David Winnick (Walsall North), a member of the Home Affairs Select Committee, said more time should be given to the Bill as he questioned if there had been a " mockery of parliamentary democracy".
Tory former leadership candidate David Davis said the delay between the European Court of Justice ruling in April and the measures being brought forward now was down to disagreements between the Liberal Democrat and Conservative halves of the Coalition.
https://uk.news.yahoo.com/bid-curb-emergency-data-laws-234011705.html
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