Independent Advisory Group on Emerging Technologies in Policing minutes: October 2022

Attendees and apologies

In person

• Elizabeth Aston, Edinburgh Napier University (Chair)
• Barry Sillers, SPA
• Andrew Hendry, Police Scotland
• Jenny Brotchie, ICO
• Stephen Ferguson, COPFS
• Scott Ross, SPA
• Bill Stevenson, Equality and Human Rights Commission

Teams

• Angela Daly, Dundee University
• Georgie Henley, techUK
• Andrew Alexander, Law Society of Scotland
• Mike Hargreaves, HMICS

Scottish Government Secretariat (SG)

• Ryan Paterson 
• Elaine Hamilton
• Louise Robertson (Teams)

Apologies

• Burkhard Schafer, Edinburgh University
• Diego Quiroz, Scottish Biometrics Commissioner
• Bill Buchanan, Napier University 

Items and actions

Welcome from the Chair 

The Chair welcomed everyone to the meeting and advised that the hybrid function was not available in the meeting room. EH will add important points to the chat as needed. The Chair thanked all members for their work on the group to date. The minutes of the last meeting on 24 August have been agreed and are now published on the Scottish Government website.  

The Chair highlighted that time is now tight for the final report to be completed. The draft final report (paper 2) has been shared in advance of this meeting. The Chair stressed that due to time constraints, any further comments provide alternative or additional text. AD suggested that there could be something in the final report that clarifies the limitations of the work of the group. This would acknowledge where the group has been unable to cover a specific matter.

Action point (AP): Secretariat to remind the Chair to add this limitations section into the background chapter

A final draft of the report will be sent to members on the 10 of November 2022 for a factual accuracy check. There will only be a week to provide comments on this, then a further week for the Chair to work on this ahead of submission to the Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Veterans. The Chair highlighted the two papers that were circulated yesterday. Members have already seen several versions of the full recommendations. 

Updated final recommendations discussion    

There are some gaps that need to be discussed as a group but the Chair asked that all in the group could consider the comments that apply to their area and suggest remedial text to address the factual accuracy issues. The Group then discussed paper 1 and 3 and the recommendations contained within. The following AP's were noted:

• in respect of 4.1, JB to confirm with AD if this area needs extra work to make it clearer
• in respect of 4.8, AA will work with others to produce a better worded version. SR comments from paper 3 should be incorporated
• in respect of 4.9, Chair asked JB, AH, DQ & Dennis Hamill to consider and adapt accordingly
• in respect of 4.10, RP will take this forward with JB and the Stirling team to gain more clarity
• in respect of 8.9, the Chair requested AD check over this wording

AP: Members to provide factual accuracy check and revised wording where applicable on paper 1 and 3 by 1 November 2022

Final report update 

This is still in draft. If members have any final comments these should be supplied by Wednesday 2 November 2022. If members cannot read the report themselves it may be useful if someone else from their organisation can look over appropriate chapters. There will be a final opportunity to comment on the report from 10 to 17 of November 2022 in terms of factual accuracy checks. The Chair will then have one week to finalise and incorporate any final changes. 

AP: Members to provide factual accuracy check and revised wording where applicable on paper 2 by 2 November 2022 

The SG will publish the final report and associated documents after November 2022. If anyone has capacity it would be helpful if they could assist with a report glossary. 

Any other business

The Chair thanked all who had contributed to the report for their input and hard work.