Asked by: Lord MacKenzie of Culkein (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government why HM Passport Office (HMPO) has withdrawn the Parliamentary Liaison Team function and discontinued the designated parliamentary helpline; and why the recorded message from HMPO on the discontinued advice and assistance helpline gives some advice for future contacts in respect of Members of the House of Commons but does not do so for members of the House of Lords.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Shadow Chief Whip (Lords)
The HMPO Parliamentary Liaison team merged with the UK Visas and Immigration MP Account Management team on 3 April. The MP Account Management team answers enquiries from Members of Parliament and Members of the House of Lords. The HMPO Parliamentary Liaison line closed on 18 April. Members of the House of Lords can contact their regional MP Account Management team for all passport related enquiries.
Asked by: Lord MacKenzie of Culkein (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Faulks on 29 July (WA 277), whether any working group or committee within Government is currently giving consideration to issues relating to extradition; and, if so, what matters are being considered.
Answered by Lord Bates
Both the UK Government and Scottish Government have said that there can be no ‘pre-negotiations’ on independence in advance of the referendum. The question of potential future extradition issues for Scotland would be affected by Scottish independence, so cannot be answered now because it would depend on multiple negotiations that could only take place if people in Scotland vote to leave the UK in September’s referendum.