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PMQs live: Jeremy Corbyn accuses David Cameron of ignoring a looming 'winter crisis' in the NHS

Draft Bill will increase ability of intelligence services to obtain access to personal internet use of citizens

Adam Withnall
Wednesday 04 November 2015 12:47 GMT
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The Tory side of the Commons groaned at Corbyn's question
The Tory side of the Commons groaned at Corbyn's question (BBC Prime Minister's Questions )

Here are the latest politics updates:

David Cameron faces PMQs amid controversy over his support for a so-called "Snoopers' Charter", which he describes as plans to ensure terrorists and child snatchers cannot have a "safe space" to communicate online beyond the reach of the authorities.

The Prime Minister insisted the UK's spies and police needed to be able to see who suspects had communicated with over the internet.

Proposed new laws will be published today covering the tools available to police and intelligence agencies to fight terrorism and serious crime in the digital age.

In a potential area of controversy, measures requiring internet firms to store internet connection records (ICRs) to respond to the increasing use of apps and social media for communication are expected to be included in the draft Investigatory Powers Bill.

However, sources said access to ICRs will be controlled and they will not include a full browsing history or reveal every web page visited, with strict limits on accessing the records.

Security services will retain the capacity to intercept the content of communications after obtaining a warrant.

It is understood that ministers have ruled out any proposal to restrict encryption or ban it, despite fears in the intelligence community that advanced online security measures risk leaving them locked out of some areas of cyber space.

Mr Cameron told ITV's This Morning on Tuesday: "At heart what this whole Investigatory Powers Bill is really about is actually something quite simple, because we all know when it comes to missing children or hideous crimes and the like we all know it's absolutely vital for the police to be able to know who called who and when."

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