To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people in Livingston constituency received free passports (a) in the last 12 months and (b) in the first year free passports were introduced. (117505)

The Identity and Passport Service does not ask passport holders to keep their address up to date on our database. Therefore, the Identity and Passport Service cannot identify the number of current residents by geographical area that have taken advantage of the scheme to issue free passports to those applicants born on or before 2 September 1929.

However a response can be provided for residents of the United Kingdom:

(a) For the last 12 months (1 January 2006 to 31 December 2006) 153,330 people born on or before 2 September 1929 have had their entitlement to free passports fulfilled by the Identity and Passports Service.

(b) In the first year of the scheme (18 October 2004 to 17 October 2005) 201,123 people born on or before 2 September 1929 have had their entitlement to free passports fulfilled by the Identity and Passport Service.