Chamber and committees

Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

Find out more about parliamentary questions

Filter your results Hide all filters

Displaying 33 questions Show Answers

Order by |

Question reference: S7W-02554

Asked by: Yi-pei Chou Turvey, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 August 2026
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 8 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential for Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) technology to be misused to facilitate stalking, harassment or coercive control.

Equally Safe, Scotland’s strategy for preventing and eradicating violence against women and girls (VAWG), recognises that technology can be used to directly track, monitor, and facilitate violence against women and girls. While Equally Safe does not refer specifically to Automatic Number Plate Recognition, it acknowledges the wider risks associated with the misuse of technology and recognises that action to address VAWG must take account of these evolving risks.

Question reference: S7W-02561

Asked by: Yi-pei Chou Turvey, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 August 2026
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 8 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether Police Scotland has considered using Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) data in combination with facial recognition or other biometric technologies, and, if so, for what purposes.

The deployment of resources is a matter for the Chief Constable based on operational priorities. This is also very clearly set out in the Police and Fire Reform (Scotland) Act 2012.

The consideration to use data acquired by Automatic Number Plate Recognition technology in combination with facial recognition and other biometric technologies would be an operational matter for Police Scotland, under the scrutiny of the Scottish Police Authority.

Question reference: S7W-02557

Asked by: Yi-pei Chou Turvey, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 August 2026
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 8 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment has been made of whether the current retention period for Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) data held by Police Scotland is proportionate, in light of the number of vehicles recorded that are not of interest to the police.

Question reference: S7W-02560

Asked by: Yi-pei Chou Turvey, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 August 2026
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 8 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential for Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) technology to be combined with facial recognition, artificial intelligence or other biometric technologies.

Question reference: S7W-02559

Asked by: Yi-pei Chou Turvey, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 August 2026
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 8 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential for Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) data to reveal whether an individual has visited sensitive locations, including healthcare facilities, places of worship, political meetings or domestic abuse support services.

Question reference: S7W-02555

Asked by: Yi-pei Chou Turvey, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 August 2026
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 8 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential for individuals with access to Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) data to use that data to identify or monitor the movements or whereabouts of victims of domestic abuse.

Question reference: S7W-02552

Asked by: Yi-pei Chou Turvey, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 August 2026
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 8 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it is aware of any cases of abuse of Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) camera systems.

Question reference: S7W-02553

Asked by: Yi-pei Chou Turvey, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 August 2026
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 8 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on the use of Flock Safety Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras in Scotland.

Question reference: S7W-02550

Asked by: Yi-pei Chou Turvey, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 August 2026
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 4 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how many Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras are in operation in Scotland, and which organisations are responsible for operating them.

The Scottish Safety Camera Programme is a partnership between Transport Scotland and Police Scotland and deploys automated road traffic offence cameras which use ANPR technology only once a speed or red traffic light offence has been detected. These cameras are procured by Transport Scotland for use solely by Police Scotland and cannot be used for any purpose other than automated road traffic offence detection. There are currently 119 fixed camera locations, 18 temporary average speed cameras and 132 average speed cameras across Scotland.

Question reference: S7W-02562

Asked by: Yi-pei Chou Turvey, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 August 2026
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 4 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether any assessment has been made of the human rights and privacy implications of combining Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) data with other datasets held by Police Scotland or other public authorities.

The deployment of resources is a matter for the Chief Constable based on operational priorities. This is also very clearly set out in the Police and Fire Reform (Scotland) Act 2012.