Schools: Biometric Technologies Debate

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Department: Department for Education

Schools: Biometric Technologies

Lord Flight Excerpts
Monday 6th June 2022

(2 years, 6 months ago)

Lords Chamber
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Baroness Barran Portrait Baroness Barran (Con)
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The Government are clearly not washing their hands; there are very clear procedures which schools must follow if they want to introduce this technology and very clear procedures which must be followed if a breach takes place.

Lord Flight Portrait Lord Flight (Con)
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My Lords, for what purposes are biometric technologies used in schools?

Baroness Barran Portrait Baroness Barran (Con)
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There are a range of purposes. One, as the noble Baroness, Lady Chapman, mentioned, is in relation to payment; another is access to libraries, where fingerprinting is often used. They are also used in order that children accessing free school meals do not have a separate payment system and are not stigmatised and their dignity is not affected.