Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions (a) she, (b) other Ministers in her Department and (c) officials in her Department have had with the Surveillance Camera Commissioner about compliance to Principle 1 of the Surveillance Camera Code of Practice 2013 by local authorities in England and Wales.

My officials are in regular discussions with the Surveillance Camera Commissioner and his team, and those discussions cover a range of issues in relation to the regulation of overt CCTV and other surveillance camera systems in public places. We are aware that he has recently written to all local authorities reminding them of their obligations under the code and requested that they complete and publish the self-assessment tool, that covers all the principles.

The Commissioner will be presenting his Annual Report to the Home Secretary in the near future, and I anticipate that this will include commentary on the surveillance camera use by local authorities and other relevant authorities under S33(5) of the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012. That report is intended to provide the Government, Parliament and the public an opportunity to reflect on the regulation of surveillance.