Following the terrorist attacks against Israel of 7 October 2023, the UK government worked with partners across the region to secure the release of hostages, including British nationals, who were kidnapped.

In support of these efforts, the Ministry of Defence conducted surveillance flights over the Eastern Mediterranean, including operating in air space over Israel and Gaza between December 2023 until 10 October 2025. Following the agreement of the Gaza peace plan between Israel and Hamas, and the release of remaining hostages, the Ministry of Defence ceased surveillance flights over Gaza.

The surveillance aircraft were always unarmed, did not have a combat role, and were tasked solely to locate hostages.

I am unable to disclose the information requested as to do so would undermine Defence’s ability to respond to hostage rescue scenarios in the future.

On 4 December last year, the Government launched a public consultation on when and how biometrics, facial recognition and similar technologies should be used, and what safeguards and oversight are needed. The consultation has now closed and a formal Government response will be published in due course, setting out the findings and next steps, including legislative measures.

The Police Reform Bill will introduce a new legal framework to underpin law enforcement use of these technologies, including the creation of a single expert body to provide independent advice and oversight.

Oversight of police use of facial recognition is currently provided by a number of bodies responsible for ensuring compliance with the law and safeguarding people’s rights. These include the Information Commissioner’s Office (data protection) and the Equality and Human Rights Commission (equalities and human rights), alongside His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services, the Independent Office for Police Conduct, and the Biometrics and Surveillance Camera Commissioner.

The use of workplace surveillance has increased due to growth in remote working, advancement in monitoring technologies and changes to employment relationships. This is why the Plan to Make Work Pay set out the government’s aim to put worker voice at the heart of Britain’s digital transition and promote best practice in safeguarding against invasion of privacy.

The government will launch a public consultation on workplace monitoring technologies. This will ensure that business practice and workers’ rights in this area are fit for a modern labour market and support the growth of the UK economy.

Ministers in the Department for Business and Trade and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology work closely on issues and policy relating to workplace surveillance and emerging technologies. This ensures policy is informed by evidence and reflects both innovation and employment considerations. In March both ministers jointly led sessions with leading experts on technology and the workplace at Wilton Park.

The government will launch a public consultation on workplace monitoring technologies. This will ensure that business practice and workers’ rights in this area are fit for a modern labour market and support the growth of the UK economy.

The Home Office has not issued advice to police forces on the activation of specific facial recognition functions within surveillance software.

The use of facial recognition technology by police forces is an operational matter for chief constables, who are responsible for deciding how and when to deploy capabilities in accordance with the law and relevant guidance.

Police use of facial recognition is governed by a legal framework which includes data protection, equality, human rights laws, national guidance issued by the College of Policing, a surveillance camera code of practice and forces’ own published policies. Their use of the technology must be for a policing purpose and be necessary, proportionate and fair.

The UK is not involved in Israeli actions in Lebanon and continues to call for a cessation to hostilities.

It is the Government’s longstanding position to not comment on intelligence operations and sharing arrangements to protect operational security.

It is the Government's longstanding position to not comment on intelligence operations and sharing arrangements to protect operational security. The Ministry of Defence only conducts activity where we are satisfied it would comply with applicable domestic and international law.

The UK is not involved in Israeli actions in Lebanon and continues to call for a cessation to hostilities.

It is the Government’s longstanding position to not comment on intelligence operations and sharing arrangements to protect operational security.

The Government has not issued specific guidance on the ethical deployment of surveillance technologies, including facial recognition. However, when using these technologies, police forces must comply with data protection, equality, human rights and other relevant laws, meaning that all deployments must be for a policing purpose and be necessary, proportionate and fair.

For live facial recognition, forces must also comply with the Surveillance Camera Code of Practice, the College of Policing’s national guidance and their own published policies.

On 4 December last year, the Government launched a public consultation on when and how biometrics, facial recognition and similar technologies should be used, and what safeguards and oversight are needed. The consultation has now closed and a formal Government response will be published in due course, setting out the findings and next steps, including legislative measures.

The Police Reform Bill will introduce a new legal framework to underpin law enforcement use of these technologies, including the creation of a single expert body to provide independent advice and oversight.

Oversight of police use of facial recognition is currently provided by a number of bodies responsible for ensuring compliance with the law and safeguarding people’s rights. These include the Information Commissioner’s Office (data protection) and the Equality and Human Rights Commission (equalities and human rights), alongside His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services, the Independent Office for Police Conduct, and the Biometrics and Surveillance Camera Commissioner.

The Home Office does not collect information on the nationality of companies supplying technology to UK police forces and law enforcement bodies. The procurement of technologies is a matter for individual organisations, having considered the legal, ethical and security requirements.

In doing so, procurement decisions by police forces and law enforcement bodies must comply with UK procurement law, including the Public Contracts Regulations 2015, Procurement Act 2023, and relevant National Cyber Security Centre guidance on supply chain risk. They are also expected to follow the Surveillance Camera Code of Practice issued under the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012. Additionally, the Live Facial Recognition Commercial Framework produced by BlueLight Commercial is available to support police forces making procurement decisions before they issue contracts.

To ensure national consistency and public confidence, the Police Reform White Paper set out our intention to have one national procurement system under the National Police Service.

The Home Office does not collect information on the nationality of companies supplying technology to UK police forces and law enforcement bodies. The procurement of technologies is a matter for individual organisations, having considered the legal, ethical and security requirements.

In doing so, procurement decisions by police forces and law enforcement bodies must comply with UK procurement law, including the Public Contracts Regulations 2015, Procurement Act 2023, and relevant National Cyber Security Centre guidance on supply chain risk. They are also expected to follow the Surveillance Camera Code of Practice issued under the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012. Additionally, the Live Facial Recognition Commercial Framework produced by BlueLight Commercial is available to support police forces making procurement decisions before they issue contracts.

To ensure national consistency and public confidence, the Police Reform White Paper set out our intention to have one national procurement system under the National Police Service.

All digital forensic activity must comply with existing legislation, including the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984, the Investigatory Powers Act 2016, the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000, and the Data Protection Act 2018.

This Government recognises the significant distress and disruption that cable theft and vandalism cause for individuals, businesses and critical national infrastructure.

That is why we work closely with the National Infrastructure Crime Reduction Partnership (NICRP), which brings together policing, law enforcement and industry partners, including from the telecommunications sector, to tackle metal and cable theft through intelligence sharing and crime prevention activity. In March 2026, the policing minister met NICRP representatives to understand the scale of infrastructure crime and explore how Government can support the partnership’s work.

The central aim of our police reforms is to protect and revitalise neighbourhood policing. We are lifting national responsibilities off local forces, so they focus on tackling local issues, like tackling the theft and resale of telecommunications cables.

We have hit our target of 3,000 more neighbourhood officers in March and our target remains 13,000 by the end of this Parliament. Police reforms and wider crime prevention measures are intended to ensure that forces have the capability and flexibility to work with communities and business to deploy specific security technologies as required.

The United Kingdom and France have signed an agreement to strengthen operations to combat illegal migration in northern France to prevent crossings to the United Kingdom with a significant increase in dedicated law enforcement, technological and intelligence resources. Under the previous funding arrangement, around 750 law enforcement personnel were deployed to French beaches. The actions of these personnel have contributed to 42,000 attempted crossings stopped since the election. French beaches will now see a 40% increase in law enforcement, intelligence and military officers to track down and stop illegal migrants boarding boats and bring people smugglers to justice.

The priority of these officers is to stop small boat crossings, and the nature of their deployment will be on the operational need and nature of the threat. It would be incorrect to strictly categorise the officers into coastal patrols, inland enforcement and intelligence-gathering activities.

This uplift in resource will be front-loaded. This includes five specialist police units who will be in place this summer, including a permanent riot squad to respond to escalating migrant violence. This deal will also provide enhanced surveillance, expanded French maritime tactics, and new detention capacity to increase removals from France. The new arrangement will increase the number of officers deployed daily up to nearly 1,100 by year 3 of the funding arrangement.

The additional personnel will be directly employed by the French government. The Home Office is not in possession of data on retention rates of personnel deployed under previous UK-funded border enforcement arrangements in France.

All of the additional units will be operational on a full-time basis. In addition, the Compagnie de Marche, a specialist unit with elite public order powers, will be surged during the summer months, historically the busiest time for small boat crossings.