Clause 72 - Authorisation of investigations
Criminal Justice Bill
5:00 pm
Mr Hilary Benn (Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Home Office; Leeds Central, Labour)
If, in the course of his late night or early morning considerations, the hon. Gentleman has managed to reassure himself on his amendments, who am I to disagree with him? The argument that he advanced as to why the Bill provides sufficient protection is exactly where the Government are coming from on the matter.
In response to the hon. Member for Southwark, North and Bermondsey, the purpose of subsection (3) is to identify a small category—I accept that it is small—of investigatory activities that are sufficiently intrusive on the privacy of an acquitted individual to require the personal and written consent of the Director of Public Prosecutions before they are undertaken. There are already many safeguards relating to the exercise of those powers. However, the clause takes that extra step in the limited circumstances listed to provide a further layer of personal protection to the acquitted person. The Government think that that is the right list.
In relation to the point that the hon. Member for Somerton and Frome raised on Customs and Excise, we are aware of the issue, and I am grateful to him for highlighting it. We shall need to consider whether it is necessary to include Her Majesty's Customs and Excise investigators who might be responsible for investigating drugs offences in particular.
Question put and agreed to.
Clause 72 ordered to stand part of the Bill.
Sitting suspended.
On resuming—