§ Mr. Geraint HowellsTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has any plans to change the regulations governing video surveillance; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. John PattenWe have no plans, at present, to change the guidelines on the use of equipment in police surveillance operations. Our information is that the guidelines work well and that the police service accept that they provide a clear statement of operational policy, with strict safeguards for the public. In the absence of evidence of abuse of the use of video surveillance, we have no plans to introduce regulations governing its general use.