§ Mr. MaddenTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many officials were involved and what procedures were followed in issuing EC passport number 003147077 by the Liverpool passport office; on what date an application was submitted by Phelim McManamon; and if he will make a statement;
(2) what action has been taken by his Department since Sunday 26 May concerning the immigration and nationality department and the Passport Agency; and if he will make a statement;
(3) when Mr. Phelim McManamon was issued with a current British passport; whether the original application with photographs is retained; what checks were carried out on the file and photographs prior to issuing an EC passport in the name of Phelim McManamon; 'and if he will make a statement;
80W(4) on what date and from which office Mr. Vindokumar Patel of the east midlands immigration service was issued with a British passport; and what sort of passport was issued.
§ Mr. Peter LloydThe matter referred to has been placed in the hands of the Metropolitan police.
§ Mr. MaddenTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the current average delay in issuing(a) British citizenship and (b) an EC passport; and what is the appropriate fee in each case.
§ Mr. Peter LloydThe average waiting times for those certificates issued in April were 36 months for certificates of naturalisation and 24 months for certificates of registration. From 1 March 1991, the fee for single and joint applicants for naturalisation on the grounds of residence has been £170, for applicants for naturalisation on the grounds of marriage to a British citizen £135, and for applicants for registration £85.
The average processing time for non-urgent straightforward properly completed passport applications was about 10 working days as at 26 May 1991. The fee for a standard United Kingdom passport is £15.
§ Mr. MaddenTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many officials in the immigration and nationality department and the Passport Agency have access to Home Office and police computerised records; how many complaints he has received in the last year of unauthorised access to computer records; what action has been taken to combat such unauthorised access; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Peter LloydOfficials of the immigration and nationality department have access to various internal departmental computer systems used in their day-to-day work activities, but have no direct access to other Home Office systems or in the normal way to police computerised records. However, members of the immigration service involved in law enforcement may have access to police computerised records of convictions where this is relevant to inquiries into breaches or suspected breaches of the immigration laws.
Passport Agency staff at computerised offices, currently Liverpool, Glasgow, London and part of Peterborough, involved in the issue of United Kingdom passports have access to the United Kingdom Passport Agency computer. No agency staff have direct access to other Home Office computer systems and none have access to police computer records.
No unauthorised access to either the IND or United Kingdom Passport Agency computers has been reported.
§ Mr. MaddenTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) who prints British and EC passports available in the United Kingdom; who provides security at printing and during distribution and delivery of such passports; what checks and inspections are made at stores; and if he will make a statement;
(2) what complaints he has received about genuine British and EC passports being stolen from stores; how many such stores there are in the United Kingdom; who provides security at each store; what improvement in security is being introduced; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Peter LloydUnited Kingdom passports are printed, stored and distributed to passport offices under 81W conditions of high security by arrangement with HMSO. Details of internal security procedures must remain confidential. The recent allegations about theft of passports are being investigated by the police.
§ Mr. MaddenTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action he has taken to ensure that genuine British and EC passports and visas are not obtained from his Department for illegal sale; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Peter LloydUnited Kingdom blue and burgundy red (in the EC format) passports are issued only to people who have a legitimate claim to one. Checks and safeguards are built into the issuing system and procedures kept under regular review.
Visas are issued only at posts abroad, except that visa endorsements in the form of a stamp are made, in respect of dependent territory applicants, by the United Kingdom Passport Agency Office in London.
§ Mr. MaddenTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the normal application procedure and normal application requirements for(a) a British passport holder and (b) a non-United Kingdom national to apply within the United Kingdom for an EC passport; whether he proposes to change any part of these procedures; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Peter LloydSatisfactory evidence of nationality and identity are required to support any application for a United Kingdom standard passport. There are no plans at present to change the procedures although the procedures are kept under regular review.
A non-United Kingdom national, unless he or she is a dual national, holding also British nationality, cannot qualify for the issue of either a standard blue or EC common format United Kingdom passport.
§ Mr. MaddenTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when police are requested to carry out inquiries into the operation of the Passport Agency; which police forces are involved; how many officials have, to date, been interviewed; when he expects police inquiries to be completed; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Peter LloydThe Metropolitan police, who are the only police force involved, began their inquiries on 28 May. I understand from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis that the first officials were interviewed on 31 May, and that inquiries are expected to take about three months.
§ Mr. MaddenTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many officials in the last year in the immigration and nationality department and the Passport Agency have been(a) dismissed, (b) suspended on full pay, (c) suspended without pay, (d) retired early and (e) are on extended sick leave; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Peter LloydIn the past year, eight officials of the Passport Agency and the Immigration and Nationality Department have been dismissed, eight officials were suspended (four of whom were eventually dismissed and are included in the foregoing figures). Of those suspended four were on full pay, two on part pay and two without pay. There were no compulsory early retirements. Statistics for sick leave are not readily available in the form requested.
82W
§ Mr. MaddenTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what contacts the east midlands immigration service has had over the past five years with the immigration and nationality department and the Passport Agency; whether the company is on the list of those able to submit applications for new passports and for passports to be renewed on a priority basis; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Peter LloydStatistics of contacts with individuals, individual agencies, organisations or representatives are not recorded by the Immigration and Nationality Department. The information could therefore be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Such information is not available either in the United Kingdom Passport Agency, although I can confirm that the organisation to which the hon. Gentleman refers is riot listed as an authorised agent by the agency.
§ Mr. MaddenTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information those applying for(a) British passports and (b) EC passports are normally required to supply; whether applicants are normally required to be interviewed by police officers; in what circumstances such application requirements may be varied; and who is authorised to approve such application variations.
§ Mr. Peter LloydApplicants for standard blue British passports and for British passports in the European Community common format are required to prove entitlement by production of documentary evidence to satisfy the Passport Office of their national status and of their identity. The requirements may be varied in cases of emergency or other urgent need for travel if authorised by a supervisor. Applicants are not normally interviewed by police officers.