Cllr Alan Sherwell, the leader of the Liberal Democrats at Aylesbury Vale District Council has set in train the review of all new cases where AVDC have used the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (2000). The RIPA act allows local councils to intercept phone calls, access electronic data (such as emails and websites) and carry out covert surveillance by council officers
Alan Sherwell, who put a motion to Council, last Wednesday (9th September), said “great care has to be taken when the RIPA act is used, which is mostly for Benefit Fraud, our aim is to make sure that the council is using the act appropriately and that safeguards are put in place.
At the moment council officers need only inform the relevant cabinet member that an investigation is happening. The Lib Dem proposal will make sure that when a RIPA investigation happens, that a report is provided to the council’s audit committee, with personal information taken out, so that members of the council and not just officers and cabinet members, can be satisfied that the Act is being used appropriately.”