§ Mr. OatenTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the(a) availability and (b) misuse of fake proof of age cards; and if he will make a statement. [181503]
§ Mr. BrowneWe have been working closely with the British Retail Consortium (BRC) on the Proof of Age Standards Scheme (PASS) which aims to ensure that different proof of age schemes comply with common standards. This is indicated by displaying the PASS holographic logo on the card. Through the BRC and other groups we encourage retailers to accept only PASS compliant cards. A person using a fake proof of age card commits an offence if it is used to deceive.
In the longer term, the introduction of ID cards will also provide retailers with a single, clear and highly reliable means of verifying proof of age.