Home Affairs Committee takes evidence on private investigators
7 February 2012
The Commons Home Affairs Committee launches its Private Investigators inquiry with evidence from Information Commissioner.
Purpose of session
This is the Home Affairs Select Committee’s first evidence session for its inquiry into private investigators. The new inquiry will start with oral evidence from Christopher Graham, the Information Commissioner and representatives from Private Investigator trade associations.
It is an opportunity to hear from the Information Commissioner, who presented evidence to the Leveson Inquiry only last week, about the extent of the current problem and to hear from industry representatives about their proposed solutions.
We will also be hearing about the involvement of police officers in private investigation from senior officers who have focused on anti-corruption.
Witnesses
11.00 am
- Christopher Graham, Information Commissioner
11.45 am
- Tony Imossi, President, Association of British Investigators
- Ian Hopkins, Board Member and Past President, Institute of Private Investigators
- Ian Withers, Governing Council Member, World Association of Professional Investigators.
12.15pm
- Roy Clark, former Deputy Assistant Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police
- Commander Peter Spindler Metropolitan Police.
Committee Chair Rt Hon Keith Vaz MP said:
"Recent high profile events, such as the phone hacking scandal, have thrown light on the sometimes shady world of private investigators. Despite this the industry still remains entirely unregulated.
We look forward to questioning the Information Commissioner about Operation Motorman, his position on regulation, and the way in which the his Office detects, handles, and penalises those who break the law.
We hope to discover the full extent of the activities of private investigators and to decide whether the public, as well as the reputable side of the industry, should be protected by a regime of statutory regulation."