Question to the Home Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government why they chose Gemalto to produce the new British passports; and what assessment they have made of profit warnings issued by Gemalto.

The next contract for the design, manufacture, and personalisation of UK passports has yet to be awarded.

However, the selection criteria for this competition was set to ensure that the new contract delivers a quality and secure product at the best value for money for the passport fee payer, with the quality of the passport being prioritised over cost for evaluating the bids. The contract will not be awarded without financial due diligence being fully completed.