PRESS RELEASE

21 January 2003

HOME OFFICE LOSING TOO MANY PASSPORTS, SAYS OTTAWAY

The number of passports that have gone missing from the Immigration and Nationality Directorate (IND) has more than trebled during 2002, compared with 2001, according to statistics given to Croydon South MP Richard Ottaway in a Parliamentary written answer from Home Office Minister Beverley Hughes (see below).

The IND issue letters to members of the public when their passport cannot be found and in the year 2000, 97 such letters were issued; and 103 in 2001. As at the end of November 2002 a total of 314 letters had been issued during the year.

Richard Ottaway said:

"I think anyone who looks at these figures will recognise that there is a worrying upward trend of passports going missing from the IND. This leaves many questions unanswered.

"The Home Office has a responsibility to ensure the safe keeping of these very important documents. To lose one passport is careless, but to lose over three hundred is very disturbing and the Minister should undertake an urgent investigation into this security failure in her Department".

ENDS

Immigration and Nationality Directorate
Richard Ottaway: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many passports have been lost at the Immigration and Nationality Directorate in each of the last five years for which figures are available; and what steps he has taken to ensure passports are not lost. [85758]

Beverley Hughes: The information requested by the hon. Member is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost; however the Immigration and Nationality Directorate issue letters to the members of the public where the document cannot be traced. In the year 2000, 97 such letters were issued; and 103 letters in 2001. As at 29 November 2002 a total of 314 letters have been issued in the year to date.

We are constantly looking for ways of improving the service we provide to the public and we are currently considering a number of initiatives which have the potential to achieve this.

Link to House of Commons Hansard - Written Answers for 12 December 2002

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