Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has made a recent assessment of the potential merits of restricting the use of live facial recognition software.

Live facial technology is being used effectively by some police forces to identify suspects more quickly and accurately. Its use is governed by data protection, equality, and human rights legislation supplemented by specific policing guidance.

At a Westminster Hall Debate on live facial recognition on 13 November, I was clear that the government wants to take time to think carefully about how much support the police may need from Government and Parliament to set and manage the rules for the use of this technology.