Investigatory Powers Act 2016

70 Relevant public authorities and designated senior officers etc.

(1) Schedule 4 (relevant public authorities and designated senior officers etc.) has effect.

(2) A public authority listed in column 1 of the table in the Schedule is a relevant public authority for the purposes of this Part.

(3) In this Part “designated senior officer”, in relation to a relevant public authority listed in column 1 of the table, means an individual who holds with the authority—

(a) an office, rank or position specified in relation to the authority in column 2 of the table, or

(b) an office, rank or position higher than that specified in relation to the authority in column 2 of the table (subject to subsections (4) and (5)).

(4) Subsection (5) applies where an office, rank or position specified in relation to a relevant public authority in column 2 of the table is specified by reference to—

(a) a particular branch, agency or other part of the authority, or

(b) responsibility for functions of a particular description.

(5) A person is a designated senior officer by virtue of subsection (3)(b) only if the person—

(a) holds an office, rank or position in that branch, agency or part, or

(b) has responsibility for functions of that description.

(6) A person who is a designated senior officer of a relevant public authority by virtue of subsection (3) and an entry in column 2 of the table may grant an authorisation—

(a) only for obtaining communications data of the kind specified in the corresponding entry in column 3 of the table, and

(b) only if section 61(1)(a) is met in relation to a purpose within one of the paragraphs of section 61(7) specified in the corresponding entry in column 4 of the table.

(7) Where there is more than one entry in relation to a relevant public authority in column 2 of the table, and a person is a designated senior officer of the authority by virtue of subsection (3) as it applies to more than one of those entries, subsection (6) applies in relation to each entry.