Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what guidance her Department gives to police forces on the use of facial recognition technology to catch wanted persons.

The Home Office does not provide operational guidance to police forces on the use of facial recognition technology.

Forces using the technology must comply with all relevant legal requirements including data protection, human rights and equality legislation, as well as the Surveillance Camera Code of Practice and force-level policies. For live facial recognition, forces are required to follow the College of Policing’s national guidance in the form of an Authorised Professional Practice (APP). The APP sets out how the technology should be used, including the categories of individuals who may be included on watchlists and the need for deployments to be necessary and proportionate to a specific policing objective.

The Police Reform Bill will include clearer rules and safeguards, and a single expert body to provide independent advice and oversight.