§ Mr. Gordon PrenticeTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what additional steps he is taking to make UK passports more difficult to(a) forge and (b) alter; and if he will make a statement. [17416]
§ Angela EagleThe Government take very seriously the security and integrity of the United Kingdom passport. The United Kingdom Passport Service works very closely with the Immigration Service and other agencies to monitor the incidence of attempted forgery and manipulation of United Kingdom passports
The new digital British passport which the United Kingdom Passport Service has been using since October 1998 contains advanced security features to prevent forgery and alteration. These include a digital image of the holder's portrait and signature on the personal identification page of the passport which has been moved from the back cover to the last page of the passport. Both of these changes are designed to increase protection against portrait substitution.
The personal identification page is also protected by a clear plastic laminate which incorporates a holographic device, and a series of laser perforations. In seeking to fully protect the passport special attention has also been paid to the component materials, and special printing techniques have been applied to the page designs.
108WThe design of the passport and the special security features incorporated within that design are kept under constant review.