Jacqui Smith MP (Labour) MP for Redditch. Home Secretary. Former chief whip.

ORG Volunteer Felix Cohen is registered to vote in Redditch currently, and has had previous experience with Jacqui Smith over the issues of top-up fees, Iraq and local NHS issues. Is often prepared to meet with constituents in Westminster (although sometimes meetings are cancelled at the last minute).

Issues

Five News reported in sexual abuse in second life. 30 October 2007 Today Home Secretary Jacqui Smith told me she was concerned that computer generated images could be used by paedophiles to breakdown their inhibitions.

Identity cards

10 Downing Street Webchat with Jacqui Smith, Home Secretary 2 August 2007

By next spring, everyone who applies for a visa to come into the UK will have to provide fingerprints which can then be checked and used to ensure that they are who they say they are. By the end of 2008, we will also be introducing id cards for foreign nationals who are here for more than six months and expect to be issuing the first national ID cards in 2009. However, it's a very big job to get the identity register and the cards that will depend on it right and that's why we're working through the plans carefully.

New Statesman Jacqui Smith: The Interview 2 August 2007

"You do need a system which has at its heart the ability, at a national level, to tie people's identity to a record of who they are."

..."There will be an ID card,"

..."From 2009 we will be introducing ID cards for UK citizens. From 2008 we will introduce what will effectively be an ID card for those who have been in the UK for more than six months."

Written answer National Identity Card Scheme 9 July 2007

The Government remain committed to the introduction of the national identity scheme.

ID cards are essential in combating identity fraud and illegal immigration and in disrupting organised crime and the continued threat of terrorism.

On her website Jacqui Smith comments on ID Cards 24 January 2005

"ID cards will help the police fight crime. They will fight fraud and they will tackle crime that involves individuals who build up multiple identities and it will help in the fight against terrorism."

"In addition, when we provide benefits or people receive free treatment on the NHS it is important that we know who the recipients of these services are. ID Cards will help us ensure that only those who are entitled to these services get them."

Software patents

The Register reported in Democracy and the software patenting debate 7 June 2004

Labour's position is a matter of public record, as Jacqui Smith, MP, sat in the Council of Ministers' meeting on 18 May, and gave Labour's backing to the current form of the directive. She said: "The Directive does appear to meet the needs of innovators and users of software and computer-implemented inventions; it's obviously important that we keep this area as straightforward as possible. I was reassured to hear the comments of Commissioner Bolkestein making clear that companies who did abuse their position could be dealt with using competition law."

National Vehicle Tracking Database

10 Downing Street Webchat with Jacqui Smith, Home Secretary 2 August 2007

CCTV systems including automatic number plate recognition can play a really important role in tackling and investigating crime and terrorism. The police have their own camera network on some roads for tracking suspicious vehicles and identifying suspects. But no decision has been made about whether other ANPR data, for example, from congestion charging cameras should be made available to the police for fighting crime generally. Such a decision would only be taken with wide consultation and robust safeguards on the use of the information.

The Guardian 'Big Brother' plan for police to use new road cameras 18 July 2007

The leaked Home Office note emerged yesterday as it was announced that the home secretary, Jacqui Smith, had waived Data Protection Act safeguards to allow the bulk transfer of data from London's congestion charge and traffic cameras to the Metropolitan police for the specific purpose of tracking potential terrorists in and around the capital. Transport for London was very reluctant to hand over the data without the home secretary issuing a special certificate exempting it from legal action from motorists worried about breach of their privacy.

Freedom of Information

Voted in favour of a bill that would have exempt the The House of Commons from its own Freedom of Information Act, ending the compulsory legal requirement for MPs to disclose their expenses and introducing further curbs on the release of already protected MPs' correspondence.

Links

Jacqui Smith MP website
Jacqui Smith MP Her old website
Jacqui Smith MP TheyWorkForYou.com
Jacqui Smith MP Wikipedia

News

2008-10-30 - ZDNet - Home Office begins work on comms data: Summary: Home secretary Jacqui Smith has said her department already has a team working on how it obtains communications data. This comes before the the government has begun the consultation on a proposed parliamentary bill that would enable it to gather communications data for policing and national security purposes. "We have brought together a team to look at some of the technical solutions around what it might be necessary to do, precisely in order to be able to inform the consultation, so that work of course is ongoing," Smith told parliament's Joint Committee on Human Rights on 28 October.

2008-10-16 - OUT-LAW - Government gives more detail on communications surveillance plan: Summary: The Government has postponed planned legislation which could create a giant central database containing records of every email, web session and phone call made in the UK. ... Home Secretary Jacqui Smith told think-tank the Institute for Public Policy Research yesterday that the Government would act on communications surveillance and would extend the reach into new forms of communication. "Our ability to intercept communications and obtain communications data is vital to fighting terrorism and combating serious crime, including child sex abuse, murder and drugs trafficking," said Smith. "Communications Data – that is, data about calls, such as the location and identity of the caller, not the content of the calls themselves – is used as important evidence in 95% of serious crime cases and in almost all Security Service operations since 2004." "But the communications revolution has been rapid in this country and the way in which we intercept communications and collect communications data needs to change too. If it does not we will lose this vital capability that we currently have and that we all take for granted," she said.

2008-10-16 - The Register - Das überdatabase: Inside Wacky Jacqui's motherbrain: Author: Chris Williams; Summary: Home Secretary Jacqui Smith isn't known in these pages for the clarity of her pronouncements on technology. And yesterday, as she confirmed the government's plan to proceed with the Interception Modernisation Programme (IMP), she limited herself to the spin of building a universal communications surveillance apparatus. The details of the accompanying Communications Data Bill will be opened to consultation in the new year, she said, with the aim of achieving consensus with "interested parties". Smith was keen to emphasise the content of every phone, internet and mobile communication will not be harvested, but the details of who contacts whom, when and where. That distinction is likely be the cornerstone of attempts to sell IMP to MPs and a public wearied by the erosion of civil liberties and major government data losses. Smith was clear that she won't take "no" for an answer. "All this is a reflection of the technological and behavioural changes that the growth of the internet brings. Once again, that is not a Government policy which is somehow optional. It is a reality to which Government needs to respond," she said.

2008-10-16 - The Register - Wacky Jacqui's yoof ID site goes silent: Author: John Oates; Summary: The Home Secretary's opinion-harvesting site for young 'uns, mylifemyid.org, has shut up shop and looks likely to drag its feet on publishing the research. Jacqui Smith launched the site back in July to kickstart debate amongst the yoof about government ID cards. The only trouble was that opinions expressed by those using it were overwhelmingly negative. The requirement to register to post on the boards didn't stop the No2ID crowd getting involved. Still, the views posted did not seem to match the Identity and Passport Service's claims of majority support for ID cards among young people - the site being only for 16-25 year olds. This morning, as scheduled, the survey ended and the site disappeared. This was despite promises from site admins that the results of this penetrating research would be published on the site itself.

2008-10-15 - The Times - Government plans massive expansion in tracking calls, e-mail and internet visits: Author: Murad Ahmed and Richard Ford; Summary: Ministers are planning a massive increase in their capacity to collect records of people using e-mail, social networking sites and on line game sites, amid fears they are being exploited by terrorists and serious criminals. ... Jacqui Smith's announcement today that ministers are considering new powers will prompt fears that the UK is heading towards a "Big Brother" state with the authorities able to monitor the public's every move online. But she said that change was needed to maintain the country's capacity to combat terrorism and serious criminality. In a speech at Canary Wharf, London, the Home Secretary said that changing technologies - including how development on the internet was changing the nature of communication - were presenting challenges to collecting data.

2008-10-16 - BBC - Giant database plan 'Orwellian': Summary: Proposals for a central database of all mobile phone and internet traffic have been condemned as "Orwellian". Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said the police and security services needed new powers to keep up with technology. ... Lib Dems slammed the idea as "incompatible with a free country", while the Tories called on the government to justify its plans. She said: "Our ability to intercept communications and obtain communications data is vital to fighting terrorism and combating serious crime, including child sex abuse, murder and drugs trafficking." "Communications data - that is, data about calls, such as the location and identity of the caller, not the content of the calls themselves - is used as important evidence in 95% of serious crime cases and in almost all security service operations since 2004." "But the communications revolution has been rapid in this country and the way in which we intercept communications and collect communications data needs to change too." "If it does not we will lose this vital capability that we currently have and that, to a certain extent, we all take for granted." "The capability that enabled us to convict Ian Huntley for the Soham murders and that enabled us to achieve the convictions of those responsible for the 21/7 terrorist plots against London." She said the "changes we need to make may require legislation" and there may even have to be legislation "to test what a solution to this problem will look like".

2008-09-25 - Home Office - First ID card unveiled by Home Secretary as scheme builds momentum: Summary: The first UK Identity Card was unveiled today by the Home Secretary. Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said: "Today shows we are delivering on our commitment to introduce the National Identity Scheme in order that we can enjoy its benefits as quickly as possible." "ID cards will help protect against identity fraud, illegal working, reduce the use of multiple identities in organised crime and terrorism, crack down on those trying to abuse positions of trust and make it easier for people to prove they are who they say they are." "ID cards for foreign nationals will replace old-fashioned paper documents, make it easier for employers and sponsors to check entitlement to work and study, and for the UK Border Agency to verify someone's identity. This will provide identity protection to the many here legally who contribute to the prosperity of the UK, while helping prevent abuse."

2008-09-25 - Kable - ID card could damage airports, say unions: Summary: The Trade Unions Congress has told home secretary Jacqui Smith that forcing airport staff to join the National Identity Scheme could be 'highly counterproductive' On 25 September 2008, Smith claimed that the Home Office has made "considerable progress" in the discussions, and expected UK nationals working in airports to be issued with cards next year as planned. However, the Trades Union Congress' deputy secretary Frances O'Grady raised concerns that "trialling an untested ID card system in such a sensitive industry could be highly counter-productive and, in the event of a problem, lead to unintended consequences," in a letter to Jacqui Smith. O'Grady added that airport security should be "de-coupled" from the introduction of national identity cards. She said that the scheme could create confusion, given that employees would not have to carry the government cards, but already have multiple cards to use in their work.

2008-09-10 - Financial Times - Contract ended over prisoner data loss: Author: Jimmy Burns; Summary: The Home Office on Wednesday terminated its contract with a private company that lost the details of thousands of criminals, in a decision that cast doubt over the company’s continuing advice to government about its identity cards scheme. Jacqui Smith, home secretary, said on Wednesday PA Consulting would lose a £1.5m three-year deal with the Home Office after an employee mislaid a computer memory stick that contained confidential data on up to 130,000 offenders and prisoners. Ms Smith said all PA Consultancy’s contracts with the Home Office - worth an estimated £8m per annum – were being reviewed, as well as those signed with other companies... Tom Brake, Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman, accused ministers of "making scapegoats out of private companies" to cover up "incompetence at the heart of government".

2008-09-10 - ZDNet - Home Office axes data-loss firm's contract: Author: Tom Espiner; Summary: The Home Office has terminated one of its contracts with PA Consulting, following the loss of 84,000 prisoners' data.The termination of the contract to administer the prisoner-tracking JTrack system, worth £1.5m, was announced by the Home Office on Wednesday. "The Home Office has terminated the contract with PA Consulting that covered the handling of this data," Jacqui Smith, the home secretary, said in a speech to parliament on Wednesday.

2008-06-09 - The Guardian - ID cards could help turn Britain into a surveillance society, warn MPs: Author: Nicholas Watt; Summary: A compulsory national identity card scheme could be used to monitor the movements of British citizens because of the dangers of "function creep", a committee of MPs warned yesterday. Britain is in danger of turning into a "surveillance society", the Commons home affairs select committee says in a report which calls on the government to promise that the multibillion-pound ID card scheme will not be used as a matter of routine to spy on people. ...Jacqui Smith, the home secretary, yesterday defended the scheme, which is opposed by the Tories, the Liberal Democrats and many Labour MPs. "I know that ID cards will help me to prove more easily who I am," she said of the benefits ID cards will provide for innocent people.

2008-06-08 - BBC - ID cards 'could threaten privacy': Summary: The government should limit the data it collects on citizens for its ID card scheme to avoid creating a surveillance society, a group of MPs has warned. The home affairs select committee called for proper safeguards on the plans for compulsory ID cards to stop "function creep" threatening privacy. It wants a guarantee the scheme will not be expanded without MPs' approval. The Ministry of Justice said it had to balance protecting the public with protecting a right to privacy. The Home Secretary Jacqui Smith told BBC One's Andrew Marr Show that many people welcomed the use of devices such as CCTV cameras. "I know that when as it was then, the Labour-controlled council in my constituency, funded CCTV cameras in the town centre to help to protect people when they wanted to go out and have a night out without being blighted by anti-social behaviour, people supported it." "So I know for example with the DNA database that tens of thousands of crimes have been solved because of the use of the DNA database."

2008-03-06 - The Times - Identity cards link to passports is cut: Summary: The public will be allowed to apply for identity cards without having to wait to renew their passports, under moves to speed up the scheme and cut its £5.6 billion costs (Richard Ford writes). Jacqui Smith, the Home Secretary, will announce the move today in the belief that there is a large market for the card, which can be used for travel within the European Union. This would speed up the issuing of cards and help to get people’s biometrics on to the national identity register. Ms Smith will also announce that some foreign nationals resident in Britain will be issued with an ID card within the next few weeks under a pilot scheme.

2008-01-17 - The Register - Home Sec in anti-terror plan to control entire web: Author: Lewis Page; Summary: UK Home Secretary Jacqui Smith has decided to mount a push against cyber terror, in which the internet itself will somehow be modified to prevent people using it for terrorist purposes. ... Either this is just grandstanding to technically ignorant voters or the government actually plans to build a Chinese-style Great Firewall of Blighty. Let's hope they're just bullshitting.

2008-01-17 - Linx - Government targets terrorist Internet: Summary: The Home Secretary hinted that this she does indeed want to extend network level content blocking: Cleanfeed for terrorism: "We need to work with internet service providers. We need to actually use some of the lessons we’ve learnt about how we, for example, protect children from paedophiles and grooming on the internet to inform the way in which we use it to prevent violent extremism and to tackle terrorism as well."

2008-01-17 - BBC - Smith targets internet extremism: Summary: The home secretary has outlined plans to target websites promoting extremism, as part of efforts to stop people being drawn towards radical groups. Jacqui Smith said she wanted to use technology to stop "vulnerable people" being "groomed for violent extremism".

2008-01-17 - Associated Press - UK Says It Wants to Tackle Net Terror: Author: Raphael G. Satter; Summary: British Home Secretary Jacqui Smith, giving the keynote speech at a conference on radicalization and political violence, said "the Internet is not a no-go area for government." She compared her government's plan to counter extremism on the Internet to its long-standing campaign against pedophiles and child pornography online. "If we are ready and willing to take action to stop the grooming of vulnerable young people on social-networking sites, then I believe we should also take action against those who groom vulnerable people for the purposes of violent extremism." "Where there is illegal material on the Net, I want it removed," she said.

2007-07-18 - The Guardian - 'Big Brother' plan for police to use new road cameras: Author: Alan Travi; Summary: "Big Brother" plans to automatically hand the police details of the daily journeys of millions of motorists tracked by road pricing cameras across the country were inadvertently disclosed by the Home Office last night. ... The leaked Home Office note emerged yesterday as it was announced that the home secretary, Jacqui Smith, had waived Data Protection Act safeguards to allow the bulk transfer of data from London's congestion charge and traffic cameras to the Metropolitan police for the specific purpose of tracking potential terrorists in and around the capital. Transport for London was very reluctant to hand over the data without the home secretary issuing a special certificate exempting it from legal action from motorists worried about breach of their privacy.

2007-06-29 - The Guardian - Home Office job full of challenges for 'doer' Smith: Author: Alan Travis; Summary: If Jack Straw had been given the job it would be a fairly strong bet that the future of the identity card scheme would now be in the melting pot. But a quick glance at Ms Smith's constituency website is enough to demonstrate that she is a strong supporter of the project and is likely to resist any Treasury attempt to scale it back.

2007-06-28 - BBC News - First female boss for Home Office: Summary: Jacqui Smith has become Britain's first female home secretary, having been appointed as John Reid's replacement. Her promotion to Gordon Brown's Cabinet comes after a stint as chief whip.

2007-05-20 - The Guardian - Lords to shame MPs over secrecy bill: Author: Jo Revill and Paul Kelbie; Summary: Members of Parliament who voted to remove themselves from anti-secrecy laws are to be 'put to shame' by peers gearing up to block a similar move for the House of Lords. ... despite the government's supposed 'neutrality', the proposals were reintroduced and won the backing of a sizeable number of Labour MPs. These included 26 ministers and supporters of Brown, including Ed Balls, the Treasury minister, close allies Nick Brown and Tom Watson, and Jacqui Smith, the chief whip. Other ministerial supporters included Caroline Flint, Phil Woolas, Joan Ryan, Meg Munn, Ian McCartney, Tony McNulty, Parmjit Dhanda and Maria Eagle.

2007-05-19 - The Guardian - MPs vote to exempt themselves from anti-secrecy law: Author: David Hencke; Summary: The House of Commons yesterday voted to exempt itself from its own Freedom of Information Act, ending the compulsory legal requirement for MPs to disclose their expenses and introducing further curbs on the release of already protected MPs' correspondence. ... Mr Maclean was backed by a sizeable number of Labour MPs, who turned up to vote to cut short the debate and pass the legislation. These included 26 ministers and prominent supporters of Gordon Brown, including Ed Balls, the Treasury minister, and Jacqui Smith, chief whip.

2005-06-07 - The Guardian - New minister takes ICT brief: Summary: ICT and e-strategy will form an important part of Jacqui Smith's brief as the new minister of state for schools. The ultra-loyal, Blairite MP for Redditch and former economics teacher will also be in charge of an overview of all schools strategy, including Building Schools for the Future. The 42-year-old minister has hit the ground running with a palate of new polices that match ICT with her previous experience as minister of state at the Department of Health.

2004-09-17 - The Register - DTI calls women back to science and technology: Summary: The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) is to spend £4m in encouraging more women to pursue careers in science and technology. It says the UK economy is losing out because women with science qualifications too often leave the field. The money will fund a new UK Resource Centre for women in SET (Science, Engineering and Technology), based in Bradford. The goal is that businesses will use the centre support to make the most of the opportunities available to women in the sector. ... Jacqui Smith, deputy minister for women and equality, said: "We need to get more girls excited about careers in SET and more women with SET skills employed to use their specialist training and experience in good jobs and in senior positions. And we need to work with business to make sure that women who take career breaks return to quality SET positions."

2004-08-10 - The Register - UK gov moves to bust bootleggers: Author: John Leyden; Summary: The UK government's first intellectual property (IP) crime strategy was launched today by industry minister Jacqui Smith. Described as a blueprint to crack down on the trade in fake goods, the scheme involves closer inter-agency co-operation in the fight against pirates and bootleggers. ... Here the government is quoting industry figures which are wide open to question, as we'll see. ... Jacqui Smith said: "Pirates and bootleggers cheat consumers and place a drain on our economy. We cannot and we will not simply turn a blind eye to copyright and trade mark crime." "Intellectual property crime is not victimless. As well as cheating consumers, the trade in counterfeit goods costs UK companies billions of pounds and thousands of jobs every year. That is why we are working together with industry and law enforcement agencies to clamp down on this illegal trade," she added. ... Music industry chiefs like EMI chair Eric Nicoli were quick to welcome the scheme ... Compelling stuff. Or is it? It turns out that the study assumes that every piece of pirated software is a "lost sale". But IDC (which was commissioned by the BSA to conduct the study) reckons only one of 10 unauthorized copies might be a lost sale.

2004-06-07 - The Register - Democracy and the software patenting debate: Author: Lucy Sherriff; Summary:The next session of the European Parliament will be vital for the tech industry, as the directive on computer implemented inventions is due to get its second reading. ... The directive is highly controversial in its current form, for several reasons. In brief, the wording is such that it allows a very broad interpretation of what is patentable. There are three points that are particularly contentious: interoperability, lack of definition of technical effect and how patents would affect end users. ... Labour's position is a matter of public record, as Jacqui Smith, MP, sat in the Council of Ministers' meeting on 18 May, and gave Labour's backing to the current form of the directive. She said: "The Directive does appear to meet the needs of innovators and users of software and computer-implemented inventions; it's obviously important that we keep this area as straightforward as possible. I was reassured to hear the comments of Commissioner Bolkestein making clear that companies who did abuse their position could be dealt with using competition law."

2001-03-26 - BBC News - E-registering drive to beat truancy: Summary: Hundreds more secondary schools in England are to be given money next year to introduce electronic pupil registration systems. The Schools Minister, Jacqui Smith, said independent reports had shown that electronic registration could cut truancy by 10% within two years. ... The advantage of electronic registration is that, depending on the system chosen, it can be almost instant so a school can quickly contact pupils' homes to find out where they are.

1999-11-18 - BBC News - Web funding for specialist teachers: Summary: Groups representing specialist subject teachers are to be given up to £8,000 each to help develop websites. The Schools Minister for England, Jacqui Smith, said that about 20 subject associations were expected to bid for the money to help them enhance websites on subjects they represent, such as science and history.

1999-09-03 - The Register - Net uptake in schools fuels market growth: Summary: Last week the government stated that the number of primary schools online had grown almost four-fold in the last year. This increase was due to the government pumping cash into the education sector through the National Grid for Learning (NGFL), said Schools Minister Jacqui Smith. The education market is huge for the IT industry -- estimated at between £0.5 and £0.75 billion per year -- and growing rapidly. The government is investing £2 billion in infrastructure and teacher training by 2002.

1999-07-29 - BBC News - UK Politics The reshuffle in full: Summary: Department for Education and Employment, Jacqui Smith joins the government as a junior minister