In the autumn, ministers plan to introduce an investigatory powers bill that will revive what critics have called the 'snooper's charter'.

Ministers said that the department had been liaising with other regulators to determine the extent to which they would use their investigatory powers.

The investigatory powers bill, a surveillance measure including the 'snooper's charter', will enable tracking of all web and social media use.

The draft investigatory powers bill will be published this week.

Although the commissioner's office can encourage payment, it cannot yet enforce penalties, although fining and greater investigatory powers have been proposed.