FOI Request - RIPSA Use

Request 101002917996

I am writing to obtain information about your authority’s use of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 (RIPA) and the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 Scotland (RIPSA).

To outline my query as clearly as possible, I am requesting:

1. How many times has your authority authorised operations or investigations under RIPA or RIPSA in the periods:

a) 1 Jan 2017 – 31 December 2017?
b) 1 Jan 2018 – 31 December 2018?
c) 1 Jan 2019 – 31 December 2019?
d) 1 Jan 2020 – 31 December 2020?
e) 1 Jan 2021 – 28 October 2021?

2. Provide a spreadsheet detailing, in each instance: date approved; the nature of the offence (e.g. graffiti, fly tipping etc.) being investigated; technique(s) used (eg hidden cameras, bugs, undercover agents, monitoring of communications traffic data); date surveillance cancelled; details of if authorization resulted in prosecution/conviction.

3. For each of the periods from (1), how many times was the authority referred to the Investigatory Powers Tribunal as part of a complaint regarding its use of RIPA/RIPSA? Please provide any documents detailing the outcome of these complaints.

Please note I am not asking for details of the defendants or the case itself.

Response 25-11-21

Responses to questions 1 and 2 are detailed in the document located here.

3. We have never been referred to the Investigatory Powers Tribunal as part of a complaint regarding our use of RIPSA.