To think Government should not be able to employ children as spies and authorise them to commit crimes?

[Molesmokes]

I only heard of this today and the final reading is in the House of Lords tomorrow then it becomes law

“Covert Human Intelligence Sources (Criminal Conduct) Bill 2019-21”
A Bill to make provision for, and in connection with, the authorisation of criminal conduct in the course of, or otherwise in connection with, the conduct of covert human intelligence sources.

Extract from detailed article in Daily Mail:

Spy Kids: New intelligence law allows CHILDREN to work as secret agents for local councils, anti-fraud bodies and even the gambling watchdog - and even shop their own parents

“Scores of Government bodies, the armed forces and even the gambling regulator will legally be allowed to use child spies - including against their parents.

Police and the security services are among those who will be allowed to use under-18s as covert human intelligence sources (CHIS) under 'exceptional circumstances' according to official documents.

But guidance for the Covert Intelligence Bill, currently going through the Lords, outlines other public bodies who will be allowed to employ them as undercover agents.

As well as police, MI5, MI6 and the National Crime Agency, they include the Gambling Commission, county and district councils, the Environment Agency and the Food Standards Agency.

The document, which has been published online, prohibits those under 16 from being used to inform on their parents or guardians.

But it permits the use of older teenagers to be used against their own family under special circumstances.”

Who is allowed to use under-18s as undercover agents?

All UK civilian police forces

Ministry of Defence Police

Royal Navy Police

Royal Military Police

Royal Air Force Police

British Transport Police

National Crime Agency

Serious Fraud Office

The Security Service (MI5)

The Secret Intelligence Service (MI6)

The Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ)

The Royal Navy

The Army

The Royal Air Force

HM Revenue and Customs

DEFRA Investigation Services

Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science

Marine Management Organisation

The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency

Home Office

Ministry of Justice

Northern Ireland Prison Service

The Insolvency Service

Welsh Government

Any county council or district council in England, London boroughs, The City of London in its capacity as a local authority, the Council of the Isles of Scilly, and any county council or borough council in Wales

Environment Agency

The Prudential Regulation Authority

Competition and Markets Authority

Financial Conduct Authority

Food Standards Agency

The Gambling Commission

Health and Safety Executive

Continued at:

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9122121/Spy-Kids-New-intelligence-law-allows-CHILDREN-work-secret-agents-against-parents.html

Baroness Young of Hornsey raised concerns about children and vulnerable young people being used as “Covert Human Intelligence Sources” on 3 Dec 2020 in The Lords:

hansard.parliament.uk/Lords/2020-12-03/debates/724899B7-6EB1-4AD6-B1F6-925330D326D0/CovertHumanIntelligenceSources(CriminalConduct)Bill#contribution-073DD912-F320-4733-8366-BA268CD86F4C

Enforcement agencies have used children for a very long time. How else do you think they find the employers who are employing children or the businesses selling them age restricted products?

The Daily Mail, that bastion of good journali...rag that'll say anything scandalous to sell a paper.

I had two stints at undercover age restrictive busts as a child. Great fun. They get a few reports send in test kids to catch them in the act.

About 2 years ago, my local council was advertising for children to send into shops to buy knives.

This is the plot of the Cherub books. I always reckless the reason the second series of books stopped at book 4 (instead of 12. like the first series) was because author Robert Muchamore was clearly giving away to many of the governments secrets and tactics

Sounds like a good idea, trying to get inside county lines or bust child sex rings isn't that easy when you're an adult, looks a bit suspect. It does say in extraordinary circumstances, there are many many hoops to jump through and will continue to be in this case. And 17 and 18 year olds will be able to shop their parents, not young children. Presumably it will be those already in a vulnerable position and the conviction will be of benefit to them as well. It's not going to be randomly picking children to see if their mum has a bottle of wine a night; most families are boring.

I immediately thought of Cherub too :)

How do you think local authorities police underage alcohol and cigarette sales now?

SoupDragon I am totally convinced Cherub is an Actual Real Thing. I have tried to figure out from the books where the campus is. For some reason I reckon it's near Milton Keynes. Which is of course where Bletchley is.....hmmmm...

I am aware that there has been controversy in the past about children being used to help break County Lines gangs because they were placed in danger.

The new system must be going beyond what has been past practice or there would not be so much concern about the provisions in the Bill.

If I was a paedophile in power, and I wanted a way to not only conceal my nefarious activities, but have half the public insisting it has to be allowed under the guise of "law and order" then I think I might struggle to come up with a better idea than this.

@SerendipityJane

If I was a paedophile in power, and I wanted a way to not only conceal my nefarious activities, but have half the public insisting it has to be allowed under the guise of "law and order" then I think I might struggle to come up with a better idea than this.

WTF?

@SerendipityJane

If I was a paedophile in power, and I wanted a way to not only conceal my nefarious activities, but have half the public insisting it has to be allowed under the guise of "law and order" then I think I might struggle to come up with a better idea than this.

huh?

I think the links are good at highlighting potential grave problems with the Bill.

This isn’t a new thing.