'Tap on!" Whitelaw
Socialist Press1981 1981-04-09Read it in the scan (PDF), scan page 12 →
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Published by Folrose Ltd for Poet Office. Siened articles do not necessarily represent the vir Whitelaw successfully opposed a move last week for legislation to restrict unauthorised telephone tapping.
MPs voted 262 to 175 to delete an Opposition clause in the British Telecommunications Bill which would have introduced fines of up to £5,000 and 3 years imprisonment for phone tapping or interception of mail.
Whitelaw replied that such restrictions on illegal activity could endanger the lives of police and security informers-who presumably depend upon unauthorised phone taps for their survival.
Also deleted was a call on the Home * Secretary to report each year to Parliament on the number of warrants issued for authorised telephone tapping.
Whitelaw kindly pledged however that he would only authorise tapping if it were "necessary"
But in the debate lan Mikardo had pointed out the extent to which mail is intercepted in London, claiming that no less than 400 addresses have their mail intercepted on a permanent basis, with many more on an ad hoc basis.