Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 Explanatory Notes

Protection of Freedoms Act 2012

2012 CHAPTER 9

The Act

Commentary on Sections

Part 1: Regulation of biometric data
Chapter 1: Destruction, retention and use of fingerprints etc.
Section 21: Reports by Commissioner

134.Subsections (1) and (2) require that the Commissioner make an annual report to the Secretary of State and enables the Commissioner to make such other reports on any matter relating to the Commissioner’s functions. The Secretary of State may also, at any time, commission a report from the Commissioner on any matter relating to the retention and use of biometric material by law enforcement authorities for national security purposes (subsection (3)). The Secretary of State is required to lay any report from the Commissioner before Parliament, but before doing so he or she may exclude from publication any part of the report which would, in his or her opinion, be contrary to the public interest or prejudicial to national security (subsections (4) and (5)).

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