Letter to the Biometrics and Surveillance Camera Commissioner from the Ministry of Justice regarding section 63G powers
Updated 23 June 2023
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Central Correspondence Team Ministry of Justice
102 Petty France
London
SW1H 9AJ
Professor Fraser Sampson
<Enquiries@obscc.org.uk>
MoJ ref: TO105551
13 June 2023
Dear Professor Sampson,
Thank you for your letter of 9 March to the former Lord Chancellor regarding the use of police powers to retain the biometrics of arrested persons for domestic abuse and sexual offences. As a government official I have been asked to respond. Please accept my sincere apologies for the lateness of this reply, which was due to an administrative error.
Thank you for sharing your views on the benefits to the criminal justice system of retaining biometrics in certain circumstances, and the potential to tackle domestic abuse and sexual offences. From your letter I understand that you are working with the Home Office and police to increase use of the powers to retain biometrics, and can confirm that as an operational police matter, those are the appropriate channels for your work.
Once again thank you for writing in about this important issue.
Yours sincerely,
[signed]
Liton Miah
Ministry of Justice