Investigatory Powers Act 2016

78 Collaboration agreements

(1) A collaboration agreement is an agreement (other than a police collaboration agreement) under which—

(a) a relevant public authority (“the supplying authority”) puts the services of designated senior officers of that authority or other officers of that authority at the disposal of another relevant public authority (“the subscribing authority”) for the purposes of the subscribing authority’s functions under this Part, and

(b) either—

(i) a designated senior officer of the supplying authority is permitted to grant authorisations to officers of the subscribing authority,

(ii) officers of the supplying authority are permitted to be granted authorisations by a designated senior officer of the subscribing authority, or

(iii) officers of the supplying authority act as single points of contact for officers of the subscribing authority.

(2) The persons by whom, or to whom, authorisations may be granted (or who may act as single points of contact) under a collaboration agreement are additional to those persons by whom, or to whom, authorisations would otherwise be granted under this Part (or who could otherwise act as single points of contact).

(3) In a case falling within subsection (1)(b)(i)—

(a) section 61 has effect as if—

(i) in subsection (2) the reference to an officer of the authority were a reference to an officer of the subscribing authority, and

(ii) in subsection (6)(b)(ii) the reference to an officer of the same relevant public authority as an authorised officer included a reference to an officer of the supplying authority,

(b) section 63(3)(d) has effect as if the reference to the relevant public authority concerned were a reference to both authorities,

(c) this Part has effect as if the designated senior officer of the supplying authority had the power to grant an authorisation to officers of the subscribing authority, and had other functions in relation to the authorisation, which were the same as (and subject to no greater or lesser restrictions than) the power and other functions which the designated senior officer of the subscribing authority who would otherwise have dealt with the authorisation would have had, and

(d) section 75(1) applies to the authorisation as if it were granted by a designated senior officer of the subscribing authority.

(4) In a case falling within subsection (1)(b)(ii)—

(a) section 61 has effect as if—

(i) in subsection (2) the reference to an officer of the authority were a reference to an officer of the supplying authority, and

(ii) in subsection (6)(b)(ii) the reference to an officer of the same relevant public authority as an authorised officer included a reference to an officer of the subscribing authority, and

(b) section 63(3)(d) has effect as if the reference to the relevant public authority concerned were a reference to both authorities.

(5) In a case falling within subsection (1)(b)(iii), section 76(4)(b) has effect as if the references to the relevant public authority were references to the subscribing authority.

(6) In this section—

• “force collaboration provision” has the meaning given by paragraph (a) of section 22A(2) of the Police Act 1996 but as if the reference in that paragraph to a police force included the National Crime Agency,

• “police collaboration agreement” means a collaboration agreement under section 22A of the Police Act 1996 which contains force collaboration provision.