Letter from the the Security Minister to the Biometrics and Surveillance Camera Commissioner
Published 20 December 2022
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Rt Hon Tom Tugendhat MBE VR MP
Security Minister
2 Marsham Street
London
SW1P 4DF
Professor Fraser Sampson
Biometrics and Surveillance Camera Commissioner
By email: enquiries@obscc.org.uk
DECS Reference: MIN/0474789/22
8 December 2022
Dear Professor Sampson,
Thank you for your letter of 14 November following our useful meeting about your excellent work on the use of Chinese surveillance equipment, particularly by the police and local authorities.
I am keen that we raise awareness of the potential security issues and ensure those taking procurement decisions are as well informed as possible. For example, we touched on the recent guidance from the National Cyber Security Centre on supply chain security risks. The guidance sets the security standards that suppliers should meet and the considerations that organisations should be making during the procurement process, and I would be grateful for your support in raising awareness amongst police forces and local authorities.
As you know the Surveillance Camera Code brings together existing legal requirements, including data protection and human rights law, as well as areas also covered by the Forensic Science Regulator. We took the decision to repeal the statutory requirement for the Code in the Data Protection and Digital Information Bill following a public consultation, in order to simplify the framework by reducing overlaps and improving consistency. Feedback from the consultation, as well as recently published reports including from the House of Lords Justice and Home Affairs Committee, was clear that the existing oversight framework is complicated and confusing.
The Code is focused on users of surveillance cameras, rather than the suppliers. As you will appreciate, these issues are not limited to surveillance technology, or police and local authorities, but cut across other capabilities and sectors too. Existing procurement rules, and improvements to these being proposed in the Public Procurement Bill, provide a holistic, tech-agnostic framework for public authorities to follow.
We are supportive of the work that you and your predecessor have done to promote high standards, and I understand that you and your team are involved in ongoing engagement with officials to consider future arrangements.
I am also grateful for your interest and offer of support on the cross-government taskforce that I announced recently which will drive forward work to protect our democracy. While the scope of the taskforce is still being explored it will, where appropriate, look to work with experts across government, our intelligence and law enforcement agencies, and industry
Thank you for your offer of a meeting on 29 November. Unfortunately, I am unavailable on that date, but would welcome another meeting soon. My office will be in touch shortly.
Yours sincerely
Rt Hon Tom Tugendhat VR MBE MP
Security Minister