Brian Wheeler

It is not just the security services that are allowed to hack into suspects' computers and phones.

A Home Office factsheet , externallists all the agencies that can apply for an equipment interference warrant: UK police forces, the National Crime Agency, Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs, the Ministry of Defence police, Royal Military Police, Royal Navy Police and the Royal Air Force Police.  

It can cover everything from using a target's password to log into their computer to remotely installing software to spy on his or her activities.

During 2013 about 20% of GCHQ’s intelligence reports contained information from this kind of surveillance, according to the Home Office, and MI5 uses it in the vast majority of its investigations. 

"It has been instrumental in disrupting credible threats to life, including against UK citizens," according to the fact sheet.

What is new in the draft bill, apart from clarifying existing laws, is forcing companies to comply with warrants and allowing the armed forces to apply for their own warrants, rather than relying on GCHQ.

It could "take some time" to start flying UK tourists back from Sharm el-Sheikh, but it is vital to ensure their safety after it became clear the Russian jet crash was "more likely than not" caused by a bomb, David Cameron has said.

House of Commons
Parliament

Foreign Affairs Select Committee chairman Crispin Blunt has questioned whether it was appropriate to invite Egyptian President Abd-al-Fattah al-Sisi to Britain.

The Conservative MP said he accepted that "conducting diplomacy sometimes involves some ugly compromises with our values".

But he told MPs "I'm not entirely sure that inviting President Sisi to the United Kingdom is necessarily wholly appropriate at this time until human rights issues are properly addressed and there is some accountability for the conduct of the operation of 2013 and the conduct of policy since."

David Cameron is to meet President Sisi for talks later.

House of Lords
Parliament

In response to Lord Pearson's questions, former Conservative Chancellor of Lerwick says it would be "totally inappropriate for the state to be involved in a critique of one of the world's great religions". The minister agrees.

Meanwhile, Baroness Mobarik, seemingly sarcastically, tells peers she was unaware the UKIP peer was "a scholar of Islamic theology". She says she's worried that such a debate "could be divisive and further exacerbate the current rise in Islamophobia".

Minister Ahmad says the government's approach since 2010 has been about "bringing communities together and fighting hate in every guise we find it". He adds that from April next year anti-Muslim hate will be recorded as "a specific hate crime" across England and Wales.

Opening a debate on pornography, the Bishop of Chester tells peers his first-hand knowledge of porn "is very limited".

Judging by statistics, he adds, "that makes me a rather unusual, if not exotic, creature".

The Daily Politics

Diane Abbott is the guest of the day with Andrew Neil and Jo Coburn, and they will be joined by Conservative MP and former defence minister Gerald Howarth, and Tim Marshall who is the former foreign affairs editor of Sky News, to look at the security situation in Egypt.

They will be looking at tax credits with Torsten Bell, director of the Resolution Foundation, and TaxPayers Alliance chief executive Jonathan Isaby.

And Lord Archer will join in the debate on the rise of left-wing literature sales.

During Lords' question time, UKIP peer Lord Pearson of Rannoch says Islam's latest teachings "outweigh its admirably peaceful earlier texts". He tells the government he has written a "short summary" of Islam and asks:

Government minister Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon says he looks forward to receiving the peer's "summary of the great religion of Islam". He tells peers every verse of the Koran starts with the words 'In the name of God, the gracious most merciful' which, he says, "underlines the true sentiments of that religion".

The minister adds that the government has been engaging in debate across Muslim communities and beyond "to ensure we confront extremism in all its ugly guises".

Adam Fleming
Reporter, Daily Politics

Sales of left-wing literature have boomed since Jeremy Corbyn became Labour leader, according to London’s biggest socialist bookshop. Bookmarks in Bloomsbury says they have sold 20% more compared with this period last year. They have shifted more copies of Marx’s Capital in the last month than the whole of 2014.

The shop’s buyer Senan Mortell told me it is because of a general surge of interest in radical ideas, not just because of the rise of Labour's new leader. “I think Jeremy Corbyn has articulated a set of views and a set of politics that a lot of people have wanted expressed. They have been there for a long time,” he said.

Flying off the shelves are Noam Chomksy’s polemic about Palestine, an analysis of the global financial system by the former Greek finance minister Yanis Varoufakis and the new book by Paul Mason, the economic editor of Channel Four News.

And what should be on the reading list of any self-respecting Cobynista? Mr Mortell recommends The Joy Of Tax by Richard Murphy, the Establishment by Owen Jones and NHS for Sale by Jacky Davis, John Lister and David Wrigley.

Don’t worry if that all sounds a bit heavy because a Jeremy Corbyn-themed colouring book is going to be published in time for Christmas.

Diane Abbott and Jeffrey Archer (!) will debate my film on Thursday's Daily Politics on BBC2 at around 12:45

Brian Wheeler

Here is another nugget from the draft Investigatory Powers Bill that you might have missed in yesterday's coverage.

Communications companies would be legally obliged to help the security services hack into suspects' smartphones and computers in the UK and around the world, including breaking into their own encrypted services.

This is euphemistically known as "equipment interference" - for example allowing spies with a warrant to use smart phones as listening devices or cameras without the owners' knowledge. 

Other examples include covertly downloading the contents of a mobile phone. 

The home office has published a draft code of practice for the security services, external.

For example, MI5 agents will only be granted an equipment interference warrant if they are investigating something that potentially "involves the use of violence, results in substantial financial gain or is conduct by a large number of persons in pursuit of a common purpose". 

Or if their target is "a person aged twenty-one or over with no previous convictions" who "could reasonably be expected to be sentenced to three years’ imprisonment or more".

The former Liberal Democrat leader formally took his seat in the chamber today, following a customary introduction ceremony. He was awarded a peerage in the dissolution honours list announced by the government in August. He takes the title Lord Campbell of Pittenweem.

House of Commons
Parliament

House of Commons
Parliament

Back on the issue of Stilton, the Environment Secretary said she would be promoting the British cheese and other food products on her trip to China. 

Labour MP John Mann had earlier raised a question about Stilton, later the speaker intervened as said he Mr Mann was still "chuntering away" about Stilton. 

Ms Truss went on to say "we are creating a one stop shop so that any food business... can have a single point of contact to deal with in government and they can get their products overseas as soon as possible".

House of Commons
Parliament

Shadow Environment Secretary Kerry McCarthy said Liz Truss the environment secretary "isn't fighting her corner to protect her budget" which Ms McCarthy said were in line for budget cuts of up to 40%.

She said the chancellor was "notoriously dismissive" of environmental concerns and the prime minister only paid the issue "lip service".

Lizz Truss said "Defra is of course a crucial department" as it deals with outbreaks of animal disease and flood defences.

She went on to say they could do things "better" and more "efficiently" through digitising records and farm inspections in order to spend more money on "the front line".

The Dutch ministry of foreign affairs says it is advising Dutch citizens not use the airport at Sharm el-Sheikh. This is a change in the travel advice, following British news. Dutch people in Egypt are being advised to contact their travel agents.

Image source, AP

Sir Elton John says he is currently arranging to meet Russian president Vladimir Putin to discuss gay rights.

The pop star has said he wants to talk to Mr Putin about his "ridiculous" attitude to the issue - but previously fell victim to prank callers pretending to be the Russian leader.

Speaking to BBC Radio 4, the star said he had now received a genuine call from the president.

"He was very affable, he was very apologetic, he was very sincere."

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