A flurry of repressive Labour government Secondary Legislation passes unnoticed by the mainstream media and opposition politicians
The old NuLabour trick of "burying the bad news" in a flurry of announcements which overwhelm the limited analytical resources of the mainstream media and the opposition political parties, is a practice which seems to be continuing under the supposedly "more accountable" style of government under the micro-meddling Prime Minister Gordon Brown.
There are no legitimate reasons for these Statutory Instruments, which cover several areas of interest to Spy Blog, to have all been published together just before the long Parliamentary summer recess.
This Secondary Legislation, over which there has been little or no public debate, represents another Great Leap Forward into into a Surveillance Police Nanny State:
Snooping on and Retention of Communications Traffic Data i.e. mobile phone location data, itemised telephone bills, subscriber details etc., even if you are innocent of any crime:
- Statutory Instrument 2007 No. 2197
The Regulation of Investigatory Powers (Acquisition and Disclosure of Communications Data: Code of Practice) Order 2007
Made 26th July 2007
Coming into force 1st October 2007 - Statutory Instrument 2007 No. 2199
The Data Retention (EC Directive) Regulations 2007
Government access to encryption keys or de-crypted data:
- Statutory Instrument 2007 No. 2196 (C. 85)
The Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 (Commencement No. 4) Order 2007
Made 26th July 2007
- Statutory Instrument 2007 No. 2200
The Regulation of Investigatory Powers (Investigation of Protected Electronic Information: Code of Practice) Order 2007Made 26th July 2007
Coming into force 1st October 2007
The sneaking in of ID Cards and National Identity Register database sharing Secondary Legislation has started, under the guise of "Passports". Commercial credit reference agencies look set to make a mint of money out of the scheme:
More anti-terrorism Secondary Legislation - how much more complicated and incompressible can it get ?
- Statutory Instrument 2007 No. 2181
The Terrorism Act 2006 (Disapplication of Section 25) Order 2007
Made 24th July 2007
Coming into force 25th July 2007 - Statutory Instrument 2007 No. 2184
The Terrorism Act 2000 (Proscribed Organisations) (Amendment) Order 2007Made 24th July 2007
Coming into force 25th July 2007
This bans a couple of obscure groups i.e."Jammat-ul Mujahideen Bangladesh" and "Tehrik Nefaz-e Shari'at Muhammadi."
However, there is Still No Ban on the Taliban in Afghanistan and Pakistan despite all the civilian and British military casualties they are causing. Banning the Taliban would allow for the arrest of the fanatical idiots who raise money and go to Pakistan to join up with the Taliban to fight against British troops.
Neither is there a ban on any Chechen terrorist groups.
See the current Home Office list of Proscribed Terrorist Groups
At least this regulation is within the spirit of what Secondary Legislation should be i.e. a simple addition to a list.
The Home Office is not the only "Ministry of Injustice":
- Statutory Instrument 2007 No. 2157
The Money Laundering Regulations 2007
Made 24th July 2007
Laid before Parliament 25th July 2007
Coming into force 15th December 2007
This SI is as long and as complicated as many entire Acts of Parliament. So much for Gordon Brown's promises to reduce the burden of bureaucratic red tape on businesses and on individuals - yet another broken promise.
The controversial Children Database on all children, parents or guardians, instead of just concentrating on those deemed to be "at risk", is now re-branded as "ContactPoint":
- Statutory Instrument 2007 No. 2182
The Children Act 2004 Information Database (England) Regulations 2007
Made 24th July 2007
Coming into force in accordance with regulation 1
1. -(1) These Regulations may be cited as the Children Act 2004 Information Database (England) Regulations 2007 and come into force on the seventh day after the day on which they are made.
We are not any safer as a result of these Statutory Instruments, the burden of bureaucratic red tape has been increased, and some more of our precious freedoms and liberties have been lost, for no measurable benefit to the majority of law abiding innocent people:
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Comments
I wonder when they'll start using the Legislative and Regulatory Reform Act in this way...
Also, do you know of an easy way of finding out when statutory instruments get published and looking them up?
Posted by: James Hammerton | August 3, 2007 12:37 PM
James,
you should subscribe to the parliament rss feed.
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm/cmvote/cmvote.htm
Posted by: IanP | August 3, 2007 1:07 PM
I looked at the passport one, whereby it seems they, the government, will be able to require the credit reference agencies to provide information about individuals, but it doesn't say what type of information - just identity info, or financial info as well - perhaps to be used as part of the interrogation soon to be part of a passport application.
The website invites comments. I was going to ask them to provide a translation in English but, surprise, surprise, the link to the comments form doesn't work.
Posted by: Alan Tench | August 3, 2007 4:14 PM
The Office of Public Sector Information publishes several RSS feeds:
http://www.opsi.gov.uk/legislation/whatsnew.htm#rssfeeds
Posted by: wtwu | August 4, 2007 12:31 PM
Many thanks for the links guys!
Posted by: James Hammerton | August 5, 2007 2:00 PM
With respect, it's not quite fair to say that these were all rushed out in some way as to "bury bad news". A number of them, for example the Contact Point ones and the Acquisition and Disclosure of Communications Data, were published in draft and debated and voted on in Parliament before the recess. Not a very clever way to bury something!
Posted by: John Tang | August 13, 2007 2:10 PM