Asked by: Paul Beresford (Conservative - Mole Valley)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what discussions he has had with officials of the Home Office and the police on proposals to allow members of the public to take their own ID photos for official documents on their own digital devices and the potential effect of this on ID fraud and quality of images.
Answered by Matt Hancock
Government departments are fully committed to ensuring that the risks of identity fraud are minimised in transactions requiring photographs to be submitted. Currently applicants send paper photographs through the postal service. Technology now enables digital photographs to be submitted in online applications. In whichever channel is used the applicant must attest that the picture is a true likeness and departments put processes in place to assess the end-to-end risks of identity fraud. New technology has the potential to reduce fraud in this process, and we are investigating how technology can be used in a way that is both safe and cost effective.
Asked by: Paul Beresford (Conservative - Mole Valley)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what liaison is taking place between his Department and the Home Office on the (a) design of, (b) structure of and (c) security for the new digital vault for storing and processing digital ID pictures for use in passports; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Lord Maude of Horsham
The Government Digital Service is working closely with HM Passport Office. The Government is fully committed to protecting public data, including in all aspects of the passport application process.
In line with the practice of successive administrations, details of internal discussions are not normally disclosed.
Asked by: Paul Beresford (Conservative - Mole Valley)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many confirmed cases of oro-pharyngeal cancer there were in the last five years for which figures are available; and how many of those cases resulted in death.
Answered by Nick Hurd
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.