New code to curb surveillance state will not cover most CCTV Cameras in schools, hospitals and those run by the British Transport Police are also currently not covered. Local councils and police do have a duty to meet the code but there is no sanction if anyone breaches it. The new Surveillance Camera Commissioner, set up as a watchdog, will alsohave no powers of enforcement or inspection. Emma Carr, deputy director of privacy and civil liberties campaign group Big Brother Watch, said: "We have repeatedly warned that the public will not have confidence in a part-time regulator who has no powers, no legally binding rules and isn't even able to take action against organisations breaking the law. For the new system to cover only a tiny fraction of CCTV cameras, not even those in school lavatories, it is clearly a disappointment to the wide range of people concerned that in many areas CCTV in Britain has got out of hand that the new system is largely a box-ticking exercise with no consequences for people who ignore it. The draft code expects operators to use cameras appropriately, for clearly specified purposes and to ensure it is properly publicised that an area is covered by CCTV. That also includes police having to alert motorists to the fact automatic number plate recognition cameras (ANPR) are in use. Lord Taylor, the minister for criminal information, said: "Used effectively CCTV and ANPR are crucial tools for cutting crime and protecting the public but for too long we have seen these systems grow and develop without any proper framework or oversight. Through this code of practice, and with an independent commissioner, we will ensure that for the first time there is a robust framework in place, one focused on helping the police and local authorities to cut crime, which will ensure CCTV and ANPR are used appropriately.