A multi-beam laser power control circuit comprising: a light receiving element configured to receive power output from a semiconductor laser array comprising plural semiconductor lasers (LD1, LD2) and to output a signal corresponding to the received power to control the output power of the semiconductor laser array comprising said plural semiconductor lasers (LD1, LD2); plural automatic power control circuits (11,12), each configured to control emission power output from a corresponding semiconductor laser (LD1, LD2) to be set to a predetermined emission power based on the signal output from the light receiving element and a corresponding automatic power control execution signal (XAPC1, XAPC2); characterised by: an automatic power control signal selection circuit configured to receive the respective automatic power control execution signals (XAPC1, XAPC2), and, when automatic power control execution signals (XAPC 1, XAPC2) overlap in the time domain, to select and to operate one of the automatic power control circuits (11, 12) corresponding to one of the received automatic power control execution signals (XAPC1, XAPC2) based on respective timings at which the automatic power control execution signals are received by the automatic power control signal selection circuit; wherein the automatic power control circuits (11, 12) to be selected by the automatic power control signal selection circuit differs between a case where one of the overlapping automatic power control execution signals (XAPC 1 and XAPC2) is received first and a case where another of the overlapping automatic power control execution signals (XAPC 1 and XAPC2) is received first. a light receiving element configured to receive power output from a semiconductor laser array comprising plural semiconductor lasers (LD1, LD2) and to output a signal corresponding to the received power to control the output power of the semiconductor laser array comprising said plural semiconductor lasers (LD1, LD2); plural automatic power control circuits (11,12), each configured to control emission power output from a corresponding semiconductor laser (LD1, LD2) to be set to a predetermined emission power based on the signal output from the light receiving element and a corresponding automatic power control execution signal (XAPC1, XAPC2); characterised by: an automatic power control signal selection circuit configured to receive the respective automatic power control execution signals (XAPC1, XAPC2), and, when automatic power control execution signals (XAPC 1, XAPC2) overlap in the time domain, to select and to operate one of the automatic power control circuits (11, 12) corresponding to one of the received automatic power control execution signals (XAPC1, XAPC2) based on respective timings at which the automatic power control execution signals are received by the automatic power control signal selection circuit; wherein the automatic power control circuits (11, 12) to be selected by the automatic power control signal selection circuit differs between a case where one of the overlapping automatic power control execution signals (XAPC 1 and XAPC2) is received first and a case where another of the overlapping automatic power control execution signals (XAPC 1 and XAPC2) is received first. an automatic power control signal selection circuit configured to receive the respective automatic power control execution signals (XAPC1, XAPC2), and, when automatic power control execution signals (XAPC 1, XAPC2) overlap in the time domain, to select and to operate one of the automatic power control circuits (11, 12) corresponding to one of the received automatic power control execution signals (XAPC1, XAPC2) based on respective timings at which the automatic power control execution signals are received by the automatic power control signal selection circuit; wherein the automatic power control circuits (11, 12) to be selected by the automatic power control signal selection circuit differs between a case where one of the overlapping automatic power control execution signals (XAPC 1 and XAPC2) is received first and a case where another of the overlapping automatic power control execution signals (XAPC 1 and XAPC2) is received first.