Edward Snowden

Home Office written question – answered at on 7 December 2017.

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Photo of Caroline Lucas Caroline Lucas Co-Leader of the Green Party

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether any journalists have been placed under surveillance under (a) Operation Curable (b) any other operation since the leak of classified documents by Edward Snowden in 2013; what the cost of Operation Curable has been to date; if he has made an assessment of the effect of Operation Curable on public interest journalism; and if he will make a statement.

Photo of Ben Wallace Ben Wallace Minister of State (Home Office) (Security)

The use of surveillance powers in any police operation, and the associated costs, are operational matters for the relevant chief police officer.

Comprehensive safeguards relating to the use of covert investigative powers against journalists have been included in the Investigatory Powers Act 2016, the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 and the associated codes of practice, in recognition of the strong public interest in protecting a free press and freedom of expression in a democratic society.

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