Passport (Fees) Regulations 2018

Baroness Williams of Trafford Excerpts

Thursday 22nd March 2018 Lords Chamber

Moved by

[Baroness Williams of Trafford]

That the draft Regulations laid before the House on 29 January be approved. Considered in Grand Committee on 15 March.

[Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Lab)]

My Lords, there is a story going around that—

[Lord Foulkes of Cumnock]

I am speaking on the regulations. There is a story going around, which I am absolutely sure must be fake news, that the proposed iconic blue passport is going to be produced in France. Will the Minister confirm whether that is true or not, because, if it is true, it must be a great embarrassment for Her Majesty’s Government?

[The Minister of State, Home Office (Baroness Williams of Trafford) (Con)]

My Lords, any questions about this issue should have been raised in Committee. The question that the noble Lord asks has nothing to do with the regulations.

[Lord Foulkes of Cumnock]

What is the answer to the question? This is an opportunity to raise it. Surely the Minister must know what the position is.

[Baroness Williams of Trafford]

My Lords, this is not an opportunity for noble Lords to stand up and ask random questions.

[Lord Forsyth of Drumlean]

My Lords, I hope my question is not a random question. This statutory instrument is about fees for passports, so could I ask my noble friend: what would be the increase in fees if our new passports were printed in the United Kingdom, on the grounds of security, and not in France? French passports are printed in France on the grounds of national security.

[Baroness Williams of Trafford]

My Lords, I repeat the answer that I gave to the noble Lord.

[Lord Forsyth of Drumlean]

With respect to my noble friend—

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[Lord Forsyth of Drumlean]

I have every respect for the Chief Whip, but we are being asked to approve these regulations and, as a Member here, I am entitled to ask a question about them. I am asking what the increase in fees would be if, on national security grounds, which we would be entitled to invoke under the relevant EU directive, these passports were printed in Britain. If my noble friend does not know the answer, perhaps she could write to me.

[Baroness Williams of Trafford]

My Lords, I do not think it is a question of knowing the answer or not. I make the point that the noble Lords, Lord Kennedy and Lord Stoneham, were present in Committee last Thursday when we discussed this. We will have plenty of opportunity to discuss where the passports are printed. This is simply about fees. I repeat the points that I made to my noble friend and the noble Lord.

[Lord Brooke of Alverthorpe (Lab)]

Will the noble Baroness say when the opportunity to discuss that will be?

[Baroness Williams of Trafford]

My Lords, as noble Lords will know, when things are discussed in this House is entirely a matter for Members.

[Lord Foulkes of Cumnock]

My Lords, this matter was not known last Thursday; it has only become public recently. For once, I actually agree with the noble Lord, Lord Forsyth. The Government of France insist that French passports are produced only in France for reasons of security. If we are, sadly, going to have to leave the European Union, and I hope that we are not, and if we are going to have these iconic blue passports—well, the last one I had was more black than blue, to be honest—then they ought to be produced in Britain, in Gateshead or somewhere else. Why is that not the case? The Minister must answer this.

--- Later in debate ---

[Baroness Williams of Trafford]

I know that the noble Lord thinks that I must answer this, but it is a courtesy in this House that if someone has an issue to raise in Committee then they should raise it in Committee, and I fully expect that in due course, both noble Lords will try to secure a debate on this very matter.

[The Deputy Speaker (Lord Dear) (CB)]

The question is that this Motion be agreed to. I think that the Contents have it.