Home Affairs - Fifth Report
Here you can browse the report together with the Proceedings of the Committee. The published report was ordered by the House of Commons to be printed 20 May 2008.
Contents
Summary
Terms of Reference
Ground rules for Government
1 Introduction
Outline of the Committee's inquiry
Background to the Committee's inquiry
Benefits and risks of surveillance
HMRC data loss and recording of conversations at HMP Woodhill
Our Report
2 Surveillance in context
What do we mean by surveillance?
The growth of surveillance potential
Data collection in the private sector
Data collection in the public sector
Video or 'CCTV' surveillance
Awareness of surveillance and surveillance-related concerns
3 Why has the use of surveillance increased?
Technological developments
Search engines
Commercial motives for exploiting surveillance potential
The force behind technological change
The personalisation of products and services in the private sector
The value of information: profiting from surveillance
Privacy gains: profiting from protection
Political impetus for surveillance in the public sector
Harnessing technology and sharing information
Meeting public expectations generated by technological developments and private sector services
Public demand for surveillance
The Bichard Inquiry and the sharing of police intelligence
Conclusion
4 What are the implications of the growth in surveillance for the individual and society?
Benefits of surveillance
Benefits to the patient and public health
Benefits to the citizen and society
Weighing up the benefits of surveillance
Risks of surveillance
Practical effects of misuse or mistakes
Cumulative effect of misuse or mistakes: a disproportionate burden on the disadvantaged?
Impact of surveillance on privacy and individual liberty
Effect on society as a whole: the question of trust
Conclusion: a matter of balance
5 Are existing safeguards strong enough?
Responsibility for protecting information in the public sector
Debate on the limitations of regulatory safeguards
Technological safeguards
Privacy-enhancing technologies
Digital identities and identity management
Debate on the limitations of technological safeguards
The case for new safeguards
Tackling abuse of databases through criminal activity or negligence
Providing for developments in data storage, sharing and searching
Conclusion: curbing unnecessary surveillance and protecting privacy
6 What role does surveillance play in the work of the Home Office and the fight against crime?
Home Office responsibilities in relation to the collection and sharing of information
CCTV or camera surveillance: proving the benefits and practising restraint
Identity cards: reducing the risks
National DNA Database
The potential of other public and private sector databases for use in the fight against crime
Information-sharing and data-matching
Profiling to predict criminal behaviour: patient data and children's databases
Home Office perspective on information-sharing and the fight against crime
Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act
Authorisation and oversight of RIPA powers
Report by Sir Christopher Rose on the HMP Woodhill case: the Wilson Doctrine
Conclusions and recommendations
Annex: technological developments
Video surveillance
Biometrics
Locating, Tracking and Tagging technologies
Future developments
Formal Minutes
Witnesses
List of written evidence
List of unprinted evidence
List of Reports from the Committee during the current Parliament
MINUTES OF EVIDENCE - VOLUME II (HC 58-II)
WRITTEN EVIDENCE - VOLUME II (HC 58-II)
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