Skip to main content

Biometric Information Collection

Volume 450: debated on Monday 23 October 2006

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many representations his Department has received on the collection of biometric information by schools. (95097)

Since 1 January 2006 my Department has received 21 written communications which referred to the collection of biometric information by schools and nine phone calls on the subject.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what his Department’s policy is on whether schools should be allowed to collect biometric information on pupils without the consent of their parents. (95098)

The Department has not issued guidance to school governors on whether they should consult parents before implementing a policy of taking thumb prints for library issues. It is for each school to establish that it is acting lawfully in processing pupils’ personal data and, on a case-by-case basis, is acting in compliance with the Human Rights Act 1998 and the Data Protection Act 1998, and the common law of confidentiality. The British Educational Communications and Technology Agency (BECTA) published guidance for schools in 2004 on their obligations and responsibilities under the Data Protection Act and other related legislation.