Holyrood 'Spying' Debate

Labour MSPs are piling pressure on Scottish ministers to clarify whether Police Scotland 'spied' on journalists and their sources.

The party is to lay a motion at Holyrood calling for full transparency on the issue.

A national newspaper recently revealed that an official watchdog said two-unamed UK forces were involved in spying.

Scottish Labour's Shadow Justice Secretary Hugh Henry said: "These are very serious allegations and it's not good enough for Nicola Sturgeon to maintain complete silence. 

"When it was revealed that GCHQ had changed its rules to allow it to spy on MSPs the SNP Government was quite rightly outraged. That same outrage should apply to alleged spying by Police Scotland on journalists and their sources.  

"We need full transparency from the First Minister about exactly what SNP Government ministers know about these allegations and whether they have authorised any surveillance of journalists and their sources by Police Scotland." 

Letter to the First Minister

On Monday, Hugh Henry wrote to the First Minister Nicola Sturgeon asking what she knows about the allegations:

Dear First Minister,

You will be aware of the very disturbing report in yesterday's Sunday Herald about allegations that Police Scotland monitored communications between journalists and their sources.

The newspaper cites the following excerpt from a report by the Interception of Communications Commissioner Office (ICCO):

"Two police forces have acquired communications data to identify the interactions between journalists and their sources in two investigations without obtaining judicial approval."

The Sunday Herald reports that Police Scotland is one of the two forces referred to in the ICCO report. Although the regulation of the law in this area is a reserved matter, the actions of Police Scotland are the devolved responsibility of the Scottish Government. As First Minister you are ultimately responsible for the actions of Police Scotland.

People in Scotland deserve urgent answers to the following specific questions:

Have you, or any of your ministers, been advised that Police Scotland is one of the unnamed forces in the report by the Interception of Communications Commissioner Office?

Have you, or any of your ministers, authorised the surveillance of journalists and their sources by Police Scotland?

Have you, or any of your ministers, had any discussions with Police Scotland about the issue of the monitoring of communications between journalists and their sources?

What action will you take to ensure such a breach never happens again?

Confidence in Police Scotland and your government's handling of policing in this country is draining away fast following recent scandals, including the major failings in the M9 car crash tragedy. These latest allegations will do nothing to restore that confidence.

I look forward to an urgent response on this important matter. Please consider this a request under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act if necessary. 

Best wishes,

Hugh Henry MSP
Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Justice

Response

Police Scotland has refused to confirm or deny it's under investigation, while the Scottish government says obtaining communications data is a matter reserved to the UK government.