§ Mr. CohenTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance he has issued to local authorities regarding the application of Article 8 of the Human Rights Convention to CCTV(a) in privately owned shopping malls and (b) elsewhere. [107123]
§ Mr. Charles ClarkeClosed Circuit Television (CCTV) schemes funded by the Home Office are governed by codes of practice and data protection legislation to ensure that the systems are operated fairly and lawfully, and with due regard to individual rights to privacy, as provided in Article 8 of the European Convention of Human Rights.
The Human Rights Act 1998 will give further effect in United Kingdom law to the rights and freedoms guaranteed in the Convention. A properly regulated and controlled CCTV system should fully comply with the requirements of the Act.
The Data Protection Registrar is consulting on a draft code of practice, for users of public space CCTV systems, on the standards to be met to comply with their legal obligations under the Act. The intention is to issue the Code later in the year.
Advice on the impact of the new data protection and human rights legislation will be included in the prospectus for the next round of the CCTV Initiative, which we will issue in the spring.
Ms Oona King: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much money from the Government's CCTV initiative for England and Wales he estimates will be allocated to the London Borough of Tower Hamlets; and when the money will be made available. [107118]
§ Mr. Charles ClarkeThe Tower Hamlets Crime Reduction Partnership has three proposals under consideration in the first round of Crime Reduction Programme Closed Circuit Television Initiative, covering: car parks at the London Hospital (£319,000 sought); a borough-wide mobile Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) system (£193,000 sought); and an extension to CCTV coverage in Brick Lane and the surrounding areas (£501,000).
The Home Office Crime Reduction Unit has asked the partnership to provide further information in support of the bids, and funding decisions will be made as soon as possible after this has been provided. Grant payments will be made to the successful schemes at the appropriate stages of implementation.
429WThe partnership will have an opportunity to submit further proposals under the next phase of funding under the CCTV Initiative, details of which will be announced in the spring.