Comms data requests by C&E & the Inland Revenue

[Ken Brown]

Richard Clayton wrote:
 
> Dawn Primarolo: In relation to the Regulation of Investigatory Powers
> Act 2000, Customs and Excise estimate that the number of authorised
> officials will be about 200. The Inland Revenue are not yet in a
> position to estimate a figure, but in any event authorised officials in
> the Inland Revenue will be restricted to the grades equivalent to Senior
> Executive Officer and Higher Executive Officer. 

Is that meant to be reassuring? HEOs are hardly rare. Many years ago I
joined the Inland Revenue straight off the dole queue as an EO. After 2
years I went to work for an oil company for double my civil service
salary. Within 3 months 2 of the 4 people I joined with had been
promoted to HEO.  

Anyway, I doubt if many people are particularly concerned with the
salary grade of the authorised officials. What we care about is that
they are openly accountable, whoever they are.