GCHQ

Part of the debate – in the House of Commons at 4:07 pm on 10 June 2013.

Alert me about debates like this

Photo of William Hague William Hague The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 4:07, 10 June 2013

In my experience, we are well-equipped to conduct necessary investigations, but I return to the answer I gave to the previous question. There will be a constant need to update what we are able to do, without being diverted from the basic principle of ensuring that our intelligence gathering is on what is necessary, and that it is proportionate, targeted and always legal. Our laws do not provide for indiscriminate trawling for information through the contents of people’s communications. We do not need to change those basic principles, but we sometimes need to change aspects of the legal framework and where we are able to get information from. That work must go on in the coming years.