Police: Biometrics

(asked on 21st November 2023) - View Source

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what threshold applies before police can conduct facial recognition searches against (1) the passport database, (2) the EU Settled Status database, or (3) the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency database, in the course of their investigations.


Answered by
Lord Sharpe of Epsom Portrait
Lord Sharpe of Epsom
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
This question was answered on 5th December 2023

Police forces can currently request facial recognition searches against the passport database on a limited basis in support of the most serious law enforcement investigations.

No facial recognition searches are currently carried out against the EU Settled Status and Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency databases in the course of police investigations to identify people suspected of offences.

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