Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans she has for the future of the roles of (a) Surveillance Camera Commissioner and (b) Commissioner for the Retention and Use of Biometric Material.

The appointment of a Surveillance Camera Commissioner and Commissioner for the Retention and Use of Biometric Material is under consideration and will be made in accordance with the Cabinet Office Governance Code on Public Appointments (Governance Code), and take account of any possible implications for legal proceedings.

We are committed to empowering the police to use technologies like biometrics within a strict legal framework and will update parliament on our plans shortly.