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Written question asked by Keith Vaz (Labour) on Friday, 1 July 2016, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 5 July 2016. It was answered by James Brokenshire (Conservative) on Monday, 11 July 2016 on behalf of the Home Office.

Passports: Photographs

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department plans to seek professional photographic trade association (a) accreditation, (b) sanction and (c) support for proposals to encourage digital identification photographs to be used in passport applications.

Answer

Her Majesty’s Passport Office (HM Passport Office) digital passport service has been de-signed with both security and customer choice in mind and the department continues to put public protection at the heart of all new services offered. HM Passport Office is contin-uously evaluating new technologies and measures that will improve both security and customer service. We are fully committed to our public protection agenda and this extends to all aspects of the application process, across all channels.

Digital photographs, submitted as part of the new digital passport service, are required to meet the exacting standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organization. Photos are checked for compliance both through the system when uploaded and subsequently through the manual examination process. Customers have the choice of taking and up-loading their own photographs, or going to a professional digital photo service provider to supply them with a digital photograph for their application.

HM Passport Office officials have, through the Open Information Exchange group, met members of the professional photographic trade, including the Photo Marketing Associa-tion (PMA). HM Passport Office have arranged for the PMA to demonstrate their Photo Sending Service to the HM Passport Office project team later this month. HM Passport Office will continue to engage with the photographic industry to share information about current plans for digital services.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
41609
Session
2016-17
Subjects
Applications Identification Photographs Passports Trade associations
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk