Gavin Williamson, MP for South Staffordshire, sought assurances from the Home Secretary this week that new data legislation would assist police in their ongoing battle against child abusers.
The legislation, which is currently going through Parliament, would require that personal communications data be held for 12 months, giving law enforcement access to metadata of phone calls, emails, text messages
Gavin put the question to The Rt. Hon. Theresa May MP, following a Statement that she made in the Chamber on the bill.
Gavin said: “Will my right hon. Friend assure my constituents that this legislation will be an important and vital tool in the police’s battle against child abusers and those who seek to perpetrate paedophile acts?”
Mrs. May confirmed to Gavin that the communications data would be an ‘absolutely vital tool’ in investigations and in bringing criminals to justice.
She added: “They have been a particularly important tool in recent cases of child abuse, and they are also important with regard to the serious crimes I mentioned earlier, including murder. It is vital that we have access to this tool, in order to be able to keep people safe and bring perpetrators of those crimes to justice.”
Following his question, Gavin said: “This legislation will be vital to protect us from terrorist threats and will be critical in giving police another weapon in their armoury to pursue, catch and convict child abusers and paedophiles.
“I think this legislation should be warmly welcomed and I hope that it passes through the House of Commons.”