Day: June 24, 2009

The Policing and Crime Bill currently before the House of Lords provides for wide ranging powers in relation to the use and retention of personal data, in particular CCTV and Automated Number Plate Readers (ANPR) images, and personal data derived from DNA samples. Did you know about this? – Probably not. This is because the Government has explained the purpose of the clause in terms of the loss of its ECHR case relating to the national DNA database (i.e. S

The MPs expenses scandal has awoken a debate on “what Parliament is for?”. It had always supposed it was to scrutinise legislation, but it is clear to me that this does not happen; the executive branch of government has control of the legislature and can whip the votes in favour of what it wants. An elected second chamber, now the policy of this Government, runs the risk of extending the Government’s control of Parliament; do you think that the party