HC Deb 25 June 1985 vol 81 c343W
Mr. Chris Smith

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many closed circuit television cameras the Metropolitan police have for the surveillance of people in public places; how many of these are permanently fixed; where each one is located; how many of the overall total are located within the Lambeth District; how many of the Lambeth cameras are permanently fixed; and where each of them is sited.

Mr. Giles Shaw

[pursuant to his reply, 12 June 1985, c. 449]: I understand from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis that, in addition to closed circuit television equipment used to protect buildings, and for criminal investigattion purposes, the Metropolitan police have six permanently sited closed circuit television cameras which are used to assist in the operational control of public order events and to monitor traffic. These are located in Whitehall, Parliament square, Trafalgar square, Hyde Park corner, Marble Arch and Oxford Circus. There are also 10 mobile cameras held centrally for temporary use in public order events throughout the Metropolitan police district as required.

In addition the metropolitan police have access to 63 fixed cameras at various locations belonging to the Greater London council which they use for monitoring and regulating traffic. Three of these are situated in the Lambeth police district at the junctions between Lambeth road and Albert embankment, Vauxhall bridge and Albert embankment and Baylis road and Westminster Bridge road.