Cashless catering/biometrics
Dear Honiton Community College,
All public bodies have a duty to achieve best value for money.
All schools that have a cash-less catering system MUST by Law (the Protection Of Freedoms Act 2012) have a method of payment available that does NOT use biometrics. Honiton Community College therefore has both a biometric method of payment and a non-biometric method.
1. How can having two methods of payment, rather than just the one that is required by law, fulfil Honiton Community College's duty to get best value for money?
2. How many students use the biometric method of payment?
3. How many students use the alternative method of payment?
Yours faithfully,
angela mayall
Hi,
I would suggest that your questions are flawed but here are the answers to your freedom of information request. You are confusing methods of identification and method of payemtn
1. How can having two methods of payment, rather than just the one that is required by law, fulfil Honiton Community College's duty to get best value for money? We still only have one method of payment, cashless.
2. How many students use the biometric method of payment? 628 families have given their permission to use biometrics.
3. How many students use the alternative method of payment? 203 students have either requested a swipe card or not replied to the letter asking for permission to use biometric information.
Regards
Gary Wills
Director of Finance
Mobile- 07540 722704
Work- 01404 42283 Ext 243
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angela mayall left an annotation ()
Mr Wills wrote above "I would suggest that your questions are flawed. You are confusing methods of identification and method of payment". This was, presumably, because it allowed him, in his view, to dodge the question.
But my questions were not flawed. Honiton Community College's own web-site states "In June the College intends to introduce a cashless catering system using a biometric system to pay for food purchased in the College canteen."
Note the term used. "Using a biometric system to PAY for food". It does not say using a biometric system to IDENTIFY the people purchasing food.
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Biometrics Institute left an annotation ()
I would like to raise awareness about the Biometrics Institute, a user group that promotes the responsible use of biometrics. We have created a Privacy Guideline for any organisation looking at the use of biometrics. Informed consent and voluntary enrolment are key. See biometricsinstitute.org for more details. We would encourage schools to contact us to receive guidance.