§ Mr. OatenTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what research projects his Department has funded on the use of biometrics as a secure form of identification. [139225]
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§ Beverley HughesWe have funded a study by the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) on the use of iris, fingerprint and face biometrics in an identity card scheme, the results of which are on the Home Office website.
We have funded research into fingerprints through the Police Information Technology Organisation (PITO) and its predecessors, from the 1970s, chiefly through periodic 'benchmark' tests of fingerprint matching systems to ensure accuracy and security.
We have also used biometrics in several operational programmes such as the Immigration and Nationality Directorate's ARC scheme.