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17/11/2005
'Security' issues force hike in passport price
The price of passports is set to rise, in order to help boost security and fight fraud, the Home Office has announced.
The new fees will see the cost of a standard 10-year adult passport increase by £9 to £51 from December 1.
The Home Office said that the increase reflected the cost of implementing key anti-fraud measures to combat the “rapidly growing threat” of passport fraud and forgery.
The measures will include enhanced background checks on applicants and face-to-face interviews with first-time adult applicants from October next year.
They will also include the gradual introduction of new biometric ‘ePassports’ from February 2006, which will contain a scan of the passport holder’s unique facial features embedded in a chip held in the passport document.
Home Office Minister Andy Burnham said: “Countries all around the world are moving to strengthen the security of identity documents in the face of the growing threat of fraud and forgery. We cannot afford to stand idle. These improvements to passport security do carry a cost – but it is a price worth paying in order to protect passport holders from fraud and afford them continued convenient international travel.
“We are determined to ensure the British passport remains one of the most secure in the world and we are one of over 40 countries preparing to issue new biometric ‘ePassports’”.
Passport fees last increased in 2003, in order to fund the reduction of passport losses during delivery, a new database of lost and stolen passports and a trial of new background checks on information supplied by applicants.
(KMcA/SP)
The new fees will see the cost of a standard 10-year adult passport increase by £9 to £51 from December 1.
The Home Office said that the increase reflected the cost of implementing key anti-fraud measures to combat the “rapidly growing threat” of passport fraud and forgery.
The measures will include enhanced background checks on applicants and face-to-face interviews with first-time adult applicants from October next year.
They will also include the gradual introduction of new biometric ‘ePassports’ from February 2006, which will contain a scan of the passport holder’s unique facial features embedded in a chip held in the passport document.
Home Office Minister Andy Burnham said: “Countries all around the world are moving to strengthen the security of identity documents in the face of the growing threat of fraud and forgery. We cannot afford to stand idle. These improvements to passport security do carry a cost – but it is a price worth paying in order to protect passport holders from fraud and afford them continued convenient international travel.
“We are determined to ensure the British passport remains one of the most secure in the world and we are one of over 40 countries preparing to issue new biometric ‘ePassports’”.
Passport fees last increased in 2003, in order to fund the reduction of passport losses during delivery, a new database of lost and stolen passports and a trial of new background checks on information supplied by applicants.
(KMcA/SP)
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