Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Answer of 10 December 2018 to HL11784, whether biometric data from people who have obtained settled status will not be retained.

Biometric data, a facial image only for EEA nationals and Facial Image and Fingerprints for Non-EEA nationals, for persons who hold Settled Status will be retained in accordance with the answer of 10 December 2018 HL11784 and in alignment with the Border Immigration and Citizenship Privacy notice.

A settled status holder is reliant on being able to prove they have status indefinitely and may at any time in the future, when they are eligible, make an application for citizenship, in which identity checks to confirm they are correct holder of status will be performed.