§ The Earl of Northeskasked Her Majesty's Government:
What is the rationale for the requirement to introduce biometrics in order to comply with international travel and passport regulations. [HL254]
§ Baroness Scotland of AsthalThe International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) has for some years been working on placing biometrics in passports, stored in an electronic form. This is to facilitate faster and more effective passenger processing while also enhancing the security of the travel document. The United Kingdom is working to comply with this new standard as well as ensure we maintain our US visa waiver status by expediting this programme.