§ Lord Marlesfordasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will start to keep a record of the passport numbers of all passengers entering the United Kingdom from overseas and, if not, why not. [HL954]
§ The Minister of State, Home Office (Lord Rooker)While the Immigration Service does not currently retain the passport details of all arriving passengers, it is currently urgently exploring with other control agencies the use of technology to require airlines to retain the passport or identity card details of passengers before they board a flight to the United Kingdom.
The Immigration Service's computerised warnings index, which is used to check the personal details, 11WA including passport number of all arriving passengers subject to immigration control, already contains the details of large numbers of lost or stolen passports and identity cards. Additionally, the Immigration and Nationality Department retains full personal details, including passport numbers, of all arriving passengers who are given leave to enter for more than six months and all those who apply to remain in the United Kingdom.