Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to reduce levels of passport fraud.

The security of the British passport is paramount. Preventing and detecting fraud is one of Her Majesty's Passport Office's (HMPO's) key objectives and in 2013-14, of 9,033 cases of fraud were detected.

The British passport is one of the most secure documents of its kind. Working with national and international law enforcement agencies, HMPO continues to monitor and review the security of the document in order to prevent and detect fraud both, domestically and overseas. This includes introducing a range of automated system checks; increased interventions with applicants who report their passport as lost or stolen on multiple occasions; and an enhanced facial recognition system. HMPO will also continue to interview all first-time applicants as a means to confirm identity of new passport applicants.