New Schedule 3 - Account monitoring orders

National Security Bill – in a Public Bill Committee at 4:15 pm on 18 October 2022.

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1 (1) An appropriate officer may apply to a judge for an account monitoring order.

(2) The judge may grant the application if satisfied that—

(a) the order is sought for the purposes of an investigation into foreign power threat activity, and

(b) the order will enhance the effectiveness of the investigation.

(3) “Appropriate officer” means—

(a) in relation to England and Wales or Northern Ireland, a constable or a National Crime Agency officer;

(b) in relation to Scotland, the procurator fiscal.

(4) The application must state that the order is sought against the financial institution specified in the application in relation to information which—

(a) relates to an account or accounts held at the institution by the person specified in the application (whether solely or jointly with another), and

(b) is of the description so specified.

(5) The application may specify information relating to—

(a) all accounts held by the person specified in the application at the financial institution so specified,

(b) a particular description, or particular descriptions, of accounts so held, or

(c) a particular account, or particular accounts, so held.

(6) An account monitoring order is an order that the financial institution specified in the application must—

(a) for the period specified in the order,

(b) in the manner so specified,

(c) at or by the time or times so specified, and

(d) at the place or places so specified,

provide information of the description specified in the application to an appropriate officer.

(7) The period stated in an account monitoring order must not exceed the period of 90 days beginning with the day on which the order is made.

Applications

2 An application for an account monitoring order may be made without notice to a judge in chambers.

Discharge or variation

3 (1) An application to discharge or vary an account monitoring order may be made to the court by—

(a) the person who applied for the order;

(b) any person affected by the order.

(2) If the application for the account monitoring order was made by a constable, an application to discharge or vary the order may be made by a different constable.

(3) If the application for the account monitoring order was made by a National Crime Agency officer, an application to discharge or vary the order may be made by a different National Crime Agency officer.

(4) The court may—

(a) discharge the order;

(b) vary the order.

Rules of court

4 (1) Rules of court may make provision as to the practice and procedure to be followed in connection with proceedings relating to account monitoring orders.

(2) In Scotland rules of court are, without prejudice to section 305 of the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995, to be made by act of adjournal.

Effect of orders

5 (1) In England and Wales and Northern Ireland, an account monitoring order has effect as if it were an order of the court.

(2) An account monitoring order has effect in spite of any obligation as to secrecy or other restriction on the disclosure of information imposed by an enactment or otherwise.

Statements

6 (1) A statement made by a person in response to an account monitoring order may not be used in evidence against them in criminal proceedings.

(2) But sub-paragraph (1) does not apply—

(a) in the case of proceedings for contempt of court;

(b) on a prosecution for an offence where, in giving evidence, the person makes a statement inconsistent with the statement mentioned in sub-paragraph (1).

(3) A statement may not be used against a person by virtue of sub-paragraph (2)(b) unless—

(a) evidence relating to it is adduced, or

(b) a question relating to it is asked,

by or on behalf of the person in the proceedings arising out of the prosecution.

Interpretation

7 (1) This paragraph applies for the interpretation of this Schedule.

(2) “Appropriate officer” has the meaning given by paragraph 1(3).

(3) “The court” means—

(a) in relation to England and Wales or Northern Ireland, the Crown Court;

(b) in relation to Scotland, the sheriff.

(4) “Financial institution” has the same meaning as in Schedule 6 to the Terrorism Act 2000 (see paragraph 6 of that Schedule).

(5) “Judge” means—

(a) in relation to England and Wales, a judge entitled to exercise the jurisdiction of the Crown Court;

(b) in relation to Northern Ireland, a judge of the Crown Court;

(c) in relation to Scotland, the sheriff.”—(Tom Tugendhat.)

This new Schedule provides for account monitoring orders to be made. These orders may require financial institutions to provide specified information relating to accounts.

Brought up, read the First and Second time, and added to the Bill.

Photo of Thomas Tugendhat Thomas Tugendhat Minister of State (Home Office) (Security)

I beg to move amendment 66, Title, line 3, after “2007;” insert

“for the registration of certain arrangements with, and activities of, specified persons and foreign principals;”

This amendment amends the long title to add a reference to the registration scheme.

Photo of Thomas Tugendhat Thomas Tugendhat Minister of State (Home Office) (Security)

This is a simple change in the title of the Bill and I hope that everyone can support it.

Amendment 66 agreed to.

Photo of Holly Lynch Holly Lynch Shadow Minister (Home Office)

On a point of order, Mr Gray. If I may—

Photo of James Gray James Gray Conservative, North Wiltshire

Order. No, no—we have not finished yet. Hang on.

Question proposed, That the Chair do report the Bill, as amended, to the House.

Photo of Holly Lynch Holly Lynch Shadow Minister (Home Office)

I am so grateful for your guidance, Mr Gray. I want to put on the record my thanks to some of those who have supported the Committee’s deliberations and made our scrutiny possible. I thank the Clerks—Bradley Albrow in particular has been utterly unflappable, often in the face of absolute chaos. He has been a massive help to me and, I am sure, to many other Members, and I thank him for his services.

I also thank Home Office officials and the UK intelligence community, who, I think all Members will agree, have been transparent and engaged in this process, ensuring that we are—given the subject matter—as informed as we can be. I have met several members of the security services over the course of the Bill Committee; funnily enough, I do not have full names for any of them. I thank MI5 director general Ken McCallum and his team for all their support. I also thank Detective Superintendent Darren Hassard and Commander Richard Smith from counter-terrorism policing for their insight on provisions relating to their work, as well as Professor Thom Brookes and senior lecturer and retired police office Owen West for their invaluable assistance. May I also thank my incredibly dedicated parliamentary assistant, Jamie Welham?

I have been very ably assisted by my fellow shadow Front-Bench colleagues as well as by Labour Back Benchers, and I am eternally grateful to them. As we reach Report, I look forward to following up with the Minister on the detail of exactly what has been promised.

Photo of Thomas Tugendhat Thomas Tugendhat Minister of State (Home Office) (Security)

May I thank the shadow Minister, the Member for Halifax—she has been of tremendous assistance to me in the very unusual position that I have found myself in—as well as Opposition Members? I also thank enormously my hon. Friends, who have been extraordinarily generous supporters at times when I have been quite literally learning on the job.

I also thank the Clerks—particularly Chris, who was my first Clerk on the Foreign Affairs Committee, which brought me right back home—Home Office officials, the intelligence community, with whom it is such a pleasure to work again, and of course all those who have contributed to the Bill, including you, Mr Gray. Thank you very much indeed.

Photo of Kevan Jones Kevan Jones Labour, North Durham

On a point of order, Mr Gray. I think it would be remiss not to thank the two previous Ministers—

Photo of Angela Eagle Angela Eagle Labour, Wallasey

And the previous Whips!

Photo of Kevan Jones Kevan Jones Labour, North Durham

And the previous Whips, yes. One previous Minister was thrown a little more into the deep end than this one, so I want to put on the record my thanks to him.

Photo of James Gray James Gray Conservative, North Wiltshire

I will ensure that those thanks are passed on.

Question put and agreed to.

Bill, as amended, to be reported.

Committee rose.

Written evidence reported to the House

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