Councils and health authorities are to be given the right to access e-mail and internet records under surveillance powers to be introduced next year, the Home Office said this month.

Although these powers were introduced as exceptional measures to tackle terrorism, there is an attempt to normalise their use to cover other criminal activity and threats to public safety. The measures would involve internet service providers storing data on individuals for a minimum of 12 months.  This comes at the same time as the spying watchdog calling for council to make more use of existing legislation to investigate and intercept communication.