Can someone explain please?

[Surreal2020]

The ‘Covert human Intelligence Sources bill’

Why are food companies involved in this and other unusual companies/organisations?

It’s all very complicated, does someone understand it a little better than I do, why are these bills being passed now, what is going on?

Do you mean the Food Standards Agency?

@jdoejnr1 Yes, sorry rushing through before.
Lots of controversy about this, can anyone with more understanding, break it down a bit?

In very simple term if a government agency wants to use undercover agents or informants they need a law passed to do it. The FSA is a government body and so has been named in the legislation there is nothing sinister about that part. For example they might want to send someone in undercover to see if a food plant is safe after reports from staff.

There are concerns though about what the people would be allowed to do from a criminal point of view. For example a police officer undercover as a drug dealer would need to be allowed to take/sell drugs to keep up the act. The problem is both of those are illegal, this new law says they would be allowed to do it. However, it is poorly written and so one interpretation of it could be that murder would be allowed. Hence the issue.

Thank you @jdoejnr1

Any reason for why this is being introduced now, at this stage and the so called rushing through of it?