Question to the Home Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether there is an operational need for the negotiations regarding the supply of new British passports to proceed immediately; and if not, what assessment they have made of whether the awarding of the new contract should be postponed.

Her Majesty’s Passport Office has run a fair and open competition in line with UK law, EU and World Trade Organisation rules that has concluded in the identification of a preferred supplier. There are no grounds for a national security waiver.

The current passport contract expires in 2019 and we will need to proceed immediately to contract award to ensure a smooth and safe transition to the new contract.