UK Passport Advice & Information

A hi-tech weapon in the fight against passport fraud has arrived at the UK’s smaller and island communities.

The secure videolink allowing first time passport applicants to be interviewed by trained staff hundreds of miles away is being rolled out in smaller communities and islands in Scotland, England and Wales.

It is one of a range of anti-fraud measures introduced by the Identity and Passport Service (IPS) to keep the British passport among the most secure in the world. IPS prevented around 10,000 fraudulent applications last year.

The hi-tech link follows the introduction of 68 interview offices set up over the last 18 months to interview first-time adult passport applicants face-to-face in a bid to deter fraudsters.

The new service is operated in partnership with local authorities who provide premises and staff to facilitate the interviews with IPS officials at a central office.

As well as a powerful fraud deterrent, videolink interviews are more convenient for the estimated 4,000 customers from far-flung communities in England, Scotland and Wales who apply for a passport each year.

Home Office Minister for Identity, Meg Hillier, said:

“Face-to-face interviews are a major step forward in stopping fraudsters set on hijacking other people’s identities to carry out serious crimes.

“However, most people are law-abiding citizens who just want a passport without fuss. Interviews by videolink will benefit thousands of people living in smaller and island communities while ensuring the British passport remains one of the most secure passports in the world.”

Leader of the Dumfries and Galloway Council, Councillor Ivor Hyslop, said:

“This technology will benefit the whole community by offering greater convenience to those needing a passport.

“We are pleased to work in partnership with the Identity and Passport Service to help offer this service while doing our bit to help fight passport fraud.”

Investigations have shown that passport fraud – a growing problem worldwide – is often intricately linked with other criminal activity such as benefit fraud, illegal immigration, illegal working, drug trafficking and terrorism.

The interview requirement is one of a range of measures developed by IPS to stop criminals hijacking other people’s identities to carry out serious crimes.

Since 2006 IPS has developed a comprehensive set of counter fraud measures including:

• checking biographical information to ensure that the identity claimed on the application form is genuine and alive, and can be linked to the customer through cross checks against a range of public and private sector databases;
• the development of facial recognition systems to check applicant images against a database of images of suspected fraudsters;
• checking applicants against increasingly sophisticated internal watch lists including databases of infant deaths and passports reported lost or stolen;
• strengthening identity authentication processes, and training and support for passport examiners and specialist fraud units; and
• the establishment of a Passport Validation Service which enables government departments and approved private sector organisations to confirm the details of passports presented to them.

More information on passports and applying for a passport is available from the Passport Adviceline, 0300 222 0000, and at www.ips.gov.uk.

Notes to editors

1. In 2007 the Identity and Passport Service (IPS) introduced interviews for first-time passport applicants aged 16 or over as part of the application process to act as a fraud deterrent. The office network was fully operational last summer and the videolink service will be completed in the next few months. Some 300,000 interviews have now been conducted nationwide.
2. Applications can still be made by post in the normal way, but first-time adult customers are contacted at the end of the process of background checks to make an appointment for an interview at an office of their choice. At interviews people are asked basic information about themselves - not deeply private information, but information that can be checked. The point is to prevent fraudsters stealing other people’s identity or making fraudulent applications.
3. A survey of people who have attended interviews revealed that 91 per cent believe it helps to protect against identity fraud. Most customers (97 per cent) found the interview experience a positive one.
4. For interviews with regional partners, please contact press offices at the relevant local authority. Video interviews are now available in Wales at Haverfordwest; in Scotland at Stranraer, Lerwick Bowmore, Campbeltown, Lamlash, Lochgilphead, Rothesay, Tobermory, Kirkwall, Balivanich, Barra, Dunoon, Lochinver, Portree, Fort William, Kingussie, Ullapool, Elgin, Tiree, and Lochcarron; and at St Mary’s in the Scilly Isles.

For more information call the Home Office press office on 0207 035 3535.

ID cards and enhanced passports will be introduced under new contracts announced today. The award of contracts for core elements of the National Identity Service and the modernisation of the passport application process brings large scale deployment of ID cards a step closer.

The Identity and Passport Service (IPS) is replacing and upgrading its contracts for processing passport applications, which are due to expire in 2009 and 2010, and creating a new secure database for storing the facial and fingerprint images.

Together they will support the introduction of ID cards and allow for vital improvements to the next generation of biometric passports.

Home Secretary, Jacqui Smith, said:

“These contracts bring ID cards and more secure British passports a step closer, taking advantage of the best technology available to bring real benefits.

“ID cards and passports with fingerprint and facial biometrics will provide a safe and secure way of protecting personal details and proving identity.

“Our passport is already respected across the world as a Gold Standard for travel documents - these improvements will further help protect our borders.”

After a lengthy procurement process, which started with 50 prospective bidders companies in September 2007, CSC has been awarded the £385 million contract to upgrade IPS’ application and enrolment system which will provide:

• a new system for processing applications for both passports and ID cards;
• the ability for customers to apply online;
• improved background checking for applications;
• new systems to report lost and stolen passports and ID cards;
• support for customers updating their personal data; and
• new IT and telephony systems for IPS.

IBM was awarded a £265 million contract to continue existing UKBA fingerprinting capabilities and to build and run the database that will store the facial images and fingerprints that are needed to keep the passport in line with international standard, as well as to support the delivery of the ID card. It will provide:

• a database to store the fingerprint and facial biometrics of applicants for passports and ID cards; and
• a replacement for the UK Border Agency’s (UKBA) Immigration and Asylum Fingerprint System (IAFS) which holds biometrics collected from visa applicants.

IPS has used best practice from across the public and private sector to ensure these contracts successfully deliver on time and on budget. It has worked to build strong relationships with all the suppliers incorporating rewards for success and disincentives for failure to help deliver the behaviours which will result in the contracts being delivered effectively.

After an initial selection process in May 2008 five potential suppliers were selected to join the IPS framework agreement and bid for contracts. Over the last nine months more than 250 face-to-face meetings with the suppliers allowed IPS to assess each supplier before awarding the contracts.

James Hall, chief executive of the Identity and Passport Service, said:

“The British passport is already one of the most secure in the world and it is vital we maintain that strength by moving with the rest of the international community.

“That is why as we replace expiring contracts we are introducing fingerprint and facial biometric technology to the passport. At the same time we are upgrading our application process to improve the service our customers receive. Both contracts will also help deliver the ID cards programme.

“IBM and CSC have shown they are superbly placed to deliver these large projects and we are delighted they are working with us.”

The next generation of passport containing chips with facial images and fingerprints will start to be issued from 2011, at which point customers will get the choice of applying for an ID card as well.

During the next ten years the cost of running IPS and upgrading the British passport is £3.595bn, with an expected spend of £1.190bn for delivering ID cards.

Nick Wilson, President and CEO for CSC’s UK operations, said:

“CSC is pleased to be appointed by the UK government to provide services and expertise for this major programme. We look forward to applying our extensive global experience in identity management and critical programmes of this nature, and building on our track record of success in supporting citizen-centric services for governments worldwide.”

John Granger, General Manager, IBM Global Business Services, said:

“IBM is pleased to have been selected as the preferred bidder for the National Biometric Identity Service (NBIS) and is working with the Identity and Passport Service (IPS) to finalise the contract to signature.

“NBIS is a substantial and sophisticated system and we are pleased that our designs and plans for its implementation have been recognised by this decision.

“We look forward to supporting the IPS to deliver this significant programme and expect it to extend and enhance our existing relationship both with the IPS and the UK Border Agency.”

Foreign nationals are already being issued with ID cards and from the autumn staff working airside at Manchester and London City airports will be issued with cards as part of an 18 month evaluation period.

A limited number of British citizens who want to volunteer for an ID card can do so in the autumn, ahead of wider roll-out to young people in 2010.

Notes to editors

1. These contracts form part of the wider National Identity Service which by the latest estimates will cost £4.7bn over ten years to deliver. Approximately £3.595bn of this cost will be used to run IPS and deliver upgraded biometric passports, the remainder (£1.190bn) will deliver ID cards. The latest cost report can be found at: http://www.ips.gov.uk/identity/publications.asp
2. The contract for a new Application and Enrolment system has been awarded to CSC, replacing a number of existing contracts with Siemens, ATOS and others.
3. The contract for the biometric database to support next generation passports and ID cards has been awarded to IBM.
4. IPS will issue two further contracts this year:
   • Card Design and Production — to develop and produce the physical Identity Cards required for the implementation of the Scheme. Fujitsu, IBM and Thales UK are bidding for the contract which will be issued in the autumn; and
   • Passport Design and Production — to develop and produce Passports, replacing existing arrangements when they expire. 3M SPL, De La Rue, Gemalto and Thales UK are bidding for the contract which will be issued in summer.
5. In August 2008 Thales UK were awarded the £18 million three year contract to deliver the first ID cards to airside workers and volunteers starting in autumn this year.
6. 6. These procurements are being conducted using the ‘Strategic Supplier Group’ framework awarded in June 2008. This framework is with CSC, EDS, Fujitsu, IBM and Thales UK. A framework allows IPS to conduct procurements against an agreed core set of terms and conditions and allows contracts to be procured more efficiently than by separate procurements advertised in the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU).
7. To find out more about the National Identity Service visit http://www.ips.gov.uk/identity/publications-general.asp
8. The National Identity Service will be delivered during the next three years:
   • from 25 November 2008 UKBA began issuing compulsory identity cards to foreign nationals who come here to work or study
   • from Autumn 2009 we will start issuing mandatory identity cards for airside workers - starting with an 18 month evaluation at Manchester and London City airports;
   • in late 2009 we will offer a small number of volunteers the chance to enrol for the first identity cards;
   • from 2010, starting with young people, we will begin offering identity cards on a voluntary basis to anyone who will benefit from them in their daily lives; and
   • from 2011/12 identity cards will roll out to the wider population on an entirely voluntary basis

Supplier Profiles

CSC

CSC is a global leader in providing technology-enabled business solutions and services and has a long and successful track record in delivering complex, large-scale programmes which support the highest levels of availability, security and systems performance.

We provide innovative solutions by applying leading technologies and CSC’s own advanced capabilities. These include systems design and integration, IT and business process outsourcing, applications software development, Web and application hosting, and management and technology consulting.

The CSC-led consortium for the National Identity Service brings together organisations with an unmatched track record in delivering technology-enabled business solutions and services, including specialist expertise in delivering identity management and value-added services to government. We are committed to delivering IT that brings innovation and efficiency to public service provision and cost-effective, citizen-centric services.

CSC’s history of public sector innovation and efficiency is extensive. For example, in 1995 we deployed the world’s first internet-enabled tax system in Denmark; a service still considered to be amongst the most innovative in use today. Since 2007 we have also successfully developed, and currently support, an international biometric visa applications service for the UK Border Agency.

For more information on CSC and our capabilities in the public sector, visit us at www.csc.com (new window)

IBM

www.ibm.com/easyaccess/publicsector (new window)