HL Deb 24 March 2003 vol 646 cc53-4WA
Lord Marlesford

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether immigration officers at points of entry into the United Kingdom have the facility to check on-line the validity of British passports presented by persons leaving or arriving; and how long after the reporting in any part of the world of a lost or stolen British passport this information is available to immigration officers at points of entry into the United Kingdom. [HL2158]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord Filkin)

UK immigration officers operating the primary immigration control at ports of entry do not have direct access on-line to the UK Passport Agency database. However, details of passports reported as lost or stolen to British embassies or high commissions abroad are entered onto the Immigration Service Warnings Index, which is available at all ports of entry.

As part of its anti-fraud programme, the UK Passport Service is developing a database for passports reported lost, stolen or recovered. This work is taking place in conjunction with a project to provide Foreign and Commonwealth Office posts abroad with access to the main passport index. Once these projects are completed there will be a system in place for the prompt recording of reports of passports lost or stolen anywhere in the world. This system will be available to UK passport issuing offices world-wide and it will also be made available to the Immigration Service.