The Home Office has notified the European Commission of regulations to help make companies maintain the technical capability to respond to warrants and authorisations from law enforcement, security and intelligence agencies.

The Investigatory Powers (Technical Capability) Regulations 2017 do not include any new powers but relate to powers already set out in the Investigatory Powers Act 2016 which enable the Secretary of State to give a “technical capability notice” to a telecommunications operator in relation to interception, communications data or equipment interference.

The purpose of a “technical capability notice” is to ensure that, when a warrant or authorisation is served on or given to an operator, that company has the capability to provide assistance in giving effect to it securely and quickly.

The use of these powers is vital in the fight against terrorism, crime and other national security threats.

Security Minister Ben Wallace said:

Technical advances present ever-evolving opportunities for terrorists, criminals and paedophiles.

These regulations will help make sure that we maintain the capabilities to confront this challenge, subject to strict safeguards.

The regulations do not impose requirements on telecommunications operators, but set out the specific obligations that may be imposed on operators in a “technical capability notice”, including those which relate to maintaining the capability to remove encryption in response to a specific warrant or authorisation.

The move comes after a targeted consultation which included hearing views from telecommunications operators that are likely to receive a notice; bodies that hold statutory functions in relation to operators, such as the Investigatory Powers Commissioner; and the Technical Advisory Board.

Following notification under the Technical Standards Directive, the regulations have been published and there will now be a three month standstill period, during which they can be considered by the European Commission and Member States.

The secondary legislation will be subject to a debate and a vote in both Houses of Parliament before it can come into effect.

The winners have been announced in the latest round of a grant funding quantum technologies competition, totalling £13.8 million.

This competition was co-funded by Innovate UK and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC). Of the funding, 65% will go towards supporting company activities, and the remaining 35% to academic research.

Quantum technologies in different applications and markets

The winning projects cover a huge variety of different applications and markets. This includes using quantum technologies for:

• securing drone data: a consortium of Airbus, KETS, ID Quantique, University of Bristol and University of Oxford will look at the security of data transmitted between unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and the ground. The project will use a low-weight, high-speed optical communication system with secure quantum encryption
• brain scanning and mental health: Unitive Design & Analysis is working with University of Nottingham to develop a brain scanning magnetoencephalography (MEG) device. By using quantum technology it has the potential to be smaller, simpler, more flexible and cheaper than other devices
• buried assets and rail infrastructure: a collaborative project by RSK Environment, Network Rail, Atkins and University of Birmingham will establish how quantum technology could be used in gravity sensors to detect and assess infrastructure buried below the railway network, such as drains
• gas sensing: ID Quantique will lead QLM technology, Sky-Futures and University of Bristol in a project to explore how photon sources – an essential component of quantum communications systems – could be used to detect gas leaks with high levels of accuracy
• authenticating wine: startup VeriVin and University of Oxford will explore the use of quantum sensing to faults in unopened bottles of wine, monitor ageing and ensure authenticity

Into the hands of companies and consumers

Paul Mason, Director – Emerging and Enabling Technologies, Innovate UK said:

The world is on the brink of a second quantum revolution, which will bring quantum sensors, cameras, communications and computers out of the lab and into the hands of companies and consumers.

This competition brings the total grant offered to companies to up to £28 million since 2014, funding 55 individual companies and leveraging £15 million of private investment.

Bearing in mind that industrial activities were more or less zero when the UK quantum programme started back in 2013, this is an incredible achievement that sees no signs of slowing down.

Professor Philip Nelson, EPSRC’s Chief Executive, said:

The announcement of the competition winners represents an exciting next step in the development and establishment of quantum technologies.

These new technologies, that have the potential to transform so many aspects of our lives, are the result of more than two decades of research. Sustained support for research in this area is vital to ensuring that the opportunities on offer can be fully exploited.

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