Question to the Home Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they have taken to ensure that choosing a foreign company to produce the new British passports will not undermine British security and essential services, as outlined in their 2017 manifesto.

There is no reason to require UK passports to be manufactured in the United Kingdom, or by a UK company. A proportion of blank passport books are currently produced in Europe with no security or operational concerns. However all passports will continue to be personalised with the passport holder’s personal details such as name and photograph, in the United Kingdom. This will ensure that no personal data will leave the UK.

The winning bidder will comply with the UK Security Policy Framework and international security standards to mitigate and prevent internal and external threats to the manufacture and onward transportation of blank books. These include a range of physical and protective security requirements set by the Home Office.