§ 89. Mr. Millanasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the police practice in regard to the fingerprinting of children in Scotland, on the basis of information derived from chief constables.
§ Mr. Gordon CampbellFollowing a review in 1970 my Department suggested to chief constables that fingerprints should be taken primarily for the more serious offences; that there should be a substantial chance of detection; that the practice should generally be avoided for younger children; and that, where time allows, parents should be invited to attend at the police station before a child's fingerprints are taken. It is the practice of the police to destroy fingerprints taken from children unless it is established or not contested that the child has committed an offence.
I believe these recommendations are generally followed.