asked Her Majesty's Government:

In what circumstances a resident of the Republic of Ireland can obtain a British passport of any type. [HL1341]

British passports can be issued only to those who hold British nationality. A resident of the Republic of Ireland who holds British nationality may obtain a British passport from the British embassy or by making an appointment to attend an Identity and Passport Service office for a premium service when visiting the UK.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What arrangements are in place to ensure that British diplomatic missions overseas that become aware of the arrest of British citizens inform the Foreign and Commonwealth Office of the passport details of such citizens; and whether the Foreign and Commonwealth Office passes this information to the UK Passport Agency. [HL1352]

Where available, consular staff record the passport details of every British national to whom they are providing consular assistance, including detainees. These details are entered on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office consular assistance database—Compass—making it available, in real time, to consular staff in London and overseas. The arrest by foreign authorities of British nationals overseas is not alone grounds for the removal of their passport facilities by the Identity and Passport Service (IPS), the successor to the UK Passport Service. Consequently, we do not pass their details to IPS. However, we do automatically pass on the details of any lost or stolen passport to IPS.