Crime and Policing Act 2026 — Will write letters: Letter from Lord Katz to Lord Clement-Jones and others regarding police officer training in the operation of Article 22 of the UK General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), officers’ knowledge of the rules on automated decision-making (ADM)

FROMLORDKATZMBEGOVERNMENTWHIPS’OFFICE
GOV
02072196802
HIP.CO,DEFRA,DWP,FCDO,HO,HOUSEOFLORDS
WoLONDONSW1AOPW
Telephone0
wore.tordsiehrguk
holgovernmentwhips@parliament.iuk
10thFebruary2026
DearLordClement-Jones,
CrimeandPolicingBill:automateddecision-making
DuringtheCommitteeStagedebateontheCrimeandPolicingBillon22ndJanuary
2026,(seeHansardcols452-457:CrimeandPolicingBill
-
Hansard
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UK
Parliament),youaskedanimportantquestionregardingtheextenttowhichpolice
officersaretrainedintheoperationofArticle22oftheUKGeneralDataProtection
Regulation(GDPR),andwhatassurancecanbegivenaboutofficers’knowledgeof
therulesonautomateddecision-making(ADM).Iundertooktowritewithfurther
detail,andIamgratefulfortheopportunitytodoso.
LetmestartbyclarifyingthattheUKGDPRdoesnotapplytoprocessingbylaw
enforcementagenciesforalawenforcementpurpose.Thevastmajorityofprocessing
bythepolicewill,instead,becarriedoutunderPart3oftheDataProtectionAct
2018.AsI’msureyouareaware,givenyourcontributiontothedebatesonthisissue,
therelevantprovisionsinboththeUKGDPRandPart3havenowbeenamended
followingthecommencementofsection80oftheData(UseandAccess)Act2025.
Youaskedabouttrainingprovidedtothepolice.Icantellyouthatforcesarerequired
toemployadataprotectionofficerwhoisresponsibleforensuringthattheirforce
complieswithdataprotectionlaw,includingensuringappropriate,mandatory,
trainingandguidanceisinplaceforallstaff,whichreflectstherecentchanges.Other
safeguards,suchastheneedfordataprotectionimpactassessments,willalsoapply
wherethereisahighrisktotherightsorfreedomsofindividuals,andthiswillfurther
informdataprotectionofficersintheirapproachtoensuringappropriatetrainingisin
place.

Moreover,theInformationCommissioner’sOffice(ICO)hasproducedguidanceon
theuseofADMunderPart3availablehere:Rightnottobesubjecttoautomated
decision-making|ICO(theyalsoplantoissueupdatedguidanceintheSpring)
Furthermore,youmayrecallthat,duringtheReportStageofthethenData(Useand
Access)BillintheHouseofLords,theGovernmentcommittedtointroducing
secondarylegislationrequiringtheICOtoproduceaCodeofPracticeonAIand
ADM.TheCodewillprovideguidanceastogoodpracticefororganisationsin
complyingwithdataprotectionlegislationwhenusingpersonaldatainAIandADM.
TheGovernmentisalsotakingfurtherstepstoensureresponsibleAIuseinthe
police.ThroughHomeOfficefundingtotheNPCCAIportfolio,wehaveproduced
detailednationalguidanceontheresponsibleuseofAl,madeavailablethroughthe
NPCCAIPlaybookandtheAICovenant,publishedontheCollegeofPolicing’s
website.AllChiefConstableshavesignedtheCovenant,whichsetsoutclear
principlesforthetransparent,responsible,andaccountableuseofAIinpolicing.
Importantly,theCovenantexplicitlyrequiresthatAIoutputsarenotaccepted
uncriticallyandthatforcesmusthaveprocessestoensurethatofficersexercise
independentprofessionaljudgementratherthanrelyonautomatedtools.
Furthertotheabove,aspartofthePoliceReformWhitePaper,theUKGovernment
isinvesting£115milliontoenhancepolicing’scapabilitytoadoptAIsafelyand
lawfully.AcentralpillarofthisisPolice.AI,anewnationalcentrededicatedto
supportingforcesinresponsibleAJadoption.Police.AIwilldevelopsignificantly
enhancedoperationalguidance,practicalsupport,andtrainingforofficersandleaders
usingAItools,includingunderstandingthelimitationsofAIsystems,howbiasmay
arise,andhowtocriticallyevaluateoutputsasahuman-in-the-loop.Byproviding
thissupportnationally,Police.AIwillhelpensureconsistentunderstandingand
practiceacrossallforces.
Wearealsoestablishingapublic-facingregistryofAldeploymentsinpolicing,
whichwillsetout,foreachtool,itspurpose,therisksidentified,andthemitigations
inplace.Thisincludeslistinganaccountableofficerforeachdeploymentand
ensuringforcesreflectcarefullyonthelegalandethicalissues.Thislevelof
transparencyisunprecedentedinternationallyandreflectstheseriousnesswithwhich
wetakepublicconfidenceintheuseofAI.
TheGovernmentremainscommittedtoensuringthatallAIuseinpolicing,including
inADM,compliesfullywithdataprotectionlaw,andthatofficersreceivethe
trainingandsupporttheyneedtofulfilthoseresponsibilities.
Ihopeyoufindthisletterhelpful,andIwould,ofcourse,behappytoprovidefurther
informationifuseful.

IamcopyingthislettertoBaronessDoocey,BaronessNeville-RolfeandLord
SandhurstandplacingacopyinthelibraryoftheHouse.
Bestwishes,
THELORDKATZMBE
LordinWaiting(GovernmentWhip)
LordClement-Jones
HouseofLords