43 Mr. Garland asked the Minister for Justice the measures, if any, he intends taking to ensure that Government Ministers cannot, in the future, authorise the tapping of telephones and in particular journalists' telephones; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Section 98 of the Postal and Telecommunications Act, 1983, makes it an offence for any person to intercept telecommunications messages. There are certain exceptions to that provision, one of which is when the interception is done in pursuance of a direction issued by the Minister for Tourism, Transport and Communications under section 110 of the 1983 Act.