Written question asked by Nick Gibb (Conservative) on Thursday, 29 April 2004, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 17 May 2004. It was answered by Lord Browne of Ladyton (Labour) on Monday, 17 May 2004 on behalf of the Home Office.

Home Office

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what biometric information he intends to store on (a) passports and (b) driving licences; and what databases will be established to store such information centrally.

Answer: Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what biometric information he intends to store on (a) passports and (b) driving licences; and what databases will be established to store such information centrally. [170816] Mr. Browne: The United Kingdom Passport Service is planning to implement the facial recognition image biometric in the British Passport book from 2005. This facial biometric will be stored on the passport database. There are as yet no firm plans for driving licences to include biometric information although the driving licence database already stores digital photographs. The passport and driving licence may be designated as ID cards under the draft Identity Cards Bill. In which case these documents may include additional biometrics, which would be stored on the new National Identity Register. However, no final decisions have yet been taken on which biometric or biometrics the identity cards scheme will use. The draft Identity Cards Bill allows for fingerprints and other forms of biometric information such as iris images to be recorded.

Secondary information

Type: Written question
Reference: 170816; 421 c777W
Session: 2003-04
Subjects: Databases Biometrics Crime prevention Fraud Identity cards Passports Driving licences
Legislation: Draft Identity Cards Bill
Link: View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk