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Identity and Passport Service: Disciplinary Proceedings

Volume 494: debated on Monday 15 June 2009

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many staff of the Identity and Passport Service were (a) investigated, (b) disciplined and (c) dismissed for (i) making procedural errors and (ii) attempted fraud in the issuing of passports in each of the last five years. (276831)

The information requested is given in the tables.

These figures do not constitute part of National Statistics as they are based on internal management information. The information has not been quality assured under National Statistics protocols, should be treated as provisional and is subject to change.

Part I

Procedural errors of passports

Investigated

Disciplined1

Dismissed

2008-09

11

8

1

2007-08

4

5

1

2006-07

2

2

0

2005-06

1

1

1

2004-05

0

1

0

1 Indicates an action other than a dismissal.

IPS interprets 'procedural errors' as any situation where the designated policies and procedures involved in the issuing, examining, interviewing etc of passports are not followed, regardless of the intent, i.e. honest mistake (human error) or with a criminal intent.

Even if a an officer makes an honest mistake a sanction will be applied i.e. further training, work under supervision etc. Consistent thwarting of policies and procedures would involve dismissal as the ultimate sanction.

Part II

The following figures relate to investigations undertaken by the IPS Internal Investigations Team, into allegations or suspicions of fraud in the issuing of passports, in the last five financial years:

Investigated

Disciplined

Dismissed

2004-05

23

7

4

2005-06

17

6

4

2006-07

14

5

0

2007-08

14

3

1

2008-09

16

1

1

1 A further 12 investigations are ongoing.