Mr. Alan W. Williamsasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for reports from the chief constables concerned about whether there were police video cameras present filming the crowds outside the count as results were declared on 12 June in the constituencies of Caernarfon, Meirionnydd Nant Conwy, Ynys Môn and Carmarthen.
§ Mr. Douglas HoggThe use of surveillance equipment (including video cameras) by the police is governed by guidelines issued by the then Home Secretary, the right hon. and learned Member for Richmond, Yorks (Mr. Brittan), and placed in the Library in December 1984.
The guidelines were issued to ensure, amongst other things, that surveillance devices were used only where strictly necessary and with due regard for the intrusion of privacy that might sometimes result.
It has been the long-standing policy of successive Governments not to confirm or deny whether surveillance measures have been authorised in any particular case, irrespective of whether such measures have been authorised or not. We do not intend to depart from that policy.