Subject: Freedom of Information request - ANPR Capabilities

Dear Sir or Madam

I am writing to confirm that we have now completed our search for the information, which you requested on 6^th December

In keeping with the spirit and effect of the Freedom of Information Act, all information is assumed to be releasable to the public unless exempt. We will, therefore, be simultaneously releasing to the public the information you requested, together with any related information that will provide a key to its wider context via our website: http://www.highways.gov.uk/

The information supplied to you continues to be protected by the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. You are free to use it for your own purposes, including any non-commercial research you are doing and for the purposes of news reporting. Any other re-use, for example commercial publication, would require the permission of the copyright holder. [Delete where appropriate]

Most documents supplied by us will have been produced by government officials so will be Crown Copyright. You can find details on the arrangements for re-using Crown copyright on the Office of Public Sector Information website at: http://www.opsi.gov.uk/click-use/index.htm.

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If you are unhappy with the way we have handled your request, you may ask for an internal review. A leaflet detailing our internal review process is available. If you require a copy, please phone the Highways Agency Information Line on 08457 50 40 30; or e-mail [Highways Agency request email]. You should contact me if you wish to complain.

If you are not content with the outcome of the internal review, you have the right to apply directly to the Information Commissioner for a decision. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at:

Information Commissioner's Office

Wycliffe House

Water Lane

Wilmslow

Cheshire

SK9 5AF

If you have any queries about this letter, please contact me. Please remember to quote the reference number above in any future communications.

In response to your query concerning ANPR Capabilities I can provide the following response.

1 - "We do not record full number plates - they are converted into a tag through a non-reversible encryption process. The same number plate will produce the same tag and this enables journey times to be judged and anonymity to be maintained." I would like to know more about this process. What is the exact 'non reversible encryption process'? Is it a cryptographic hash? Is the whole number plate encrypted? Any document--or an index of documents--that details this process would be appreciated.

The Vehicle Registration Numbers (VRN) are converted into tags, as you surmised, through a hashing algorithm. This process takes place immediately at the ANPR camera and the tag is sent to the National Traffic Control Centre (NTCC). The tag produced is not unique - and is therefore not deemed personal data - and can be produced over 200 different configurations of VRN

2 - "We do not provide the police with the data gathered routinely but do help them with specific investigations." Please tell me what the nature of this assistance is.

Under its legal obligations to support the preventing or detecting serious crime, the Agency will respond to requests from police forces.

3 - Further, could you please confirm that data from the ANPR cameras are kept within the Highways Agency and that the maintenance, analysis, the storage of ANPR data, is not contracted to an external body.

The (non-personal) Tag data is held by a company called Traffic Information Services (TiS) who operate the NTCC on the behalf of the Highways Agency. The tag records are protected and accessible to a small team but these are relatively meaningless as the tags are non-unique and not personal to any individual.

Yours faithfully

Paul Trow

ID Information Services

Email: [email address]

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