To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what guidance his Department has issued on the collection of biometric data by school libraries. (112153)

The Department has issued no guidance on the collection of biometric data by school libraries. Biometric data is covered like all data by the Data Protection Act 1998. Guidance on data protection issues is available on the British Educational Communications and Technology Agency (Becta) website. Becta aims to revise its current guidance on data protection to include specific guidance on biometric technology, which will be available on its website by the end of March 2007 after consultation with the Office of the Information Commissioner.