Chips within electronic passports are only guaranteed
for two years, even though British e-passports are intended to last
10 years, according to theNational Audit
Office.
The NAO said that although the chips, which are designed to
contain
biometric data, have been tested in laboratory conditions, the
ability of the chip unit to withstand real-life passport usage is
unknown.
“The chip units have a two-year warranty but British e-passports
are intended to last 10 years,” it said in a report.
“The Identity and Passport Service is keeping this issue under
review.”
The Home Office said it had “every confidence” the chips would
last.
The report also reveals that there was insufficient liaison
between the Identity and Passport Service and the Immigration and
Nationality Directorate about how e-passports would be read at
border control.
“The Immigration and Nationality Directorate began testing the
ability of electronic readers to cope with high volumes of
e-passport checks in late November 2006,” the NAO said.
“If readers cannot cope, the full benefits of e-passports may
not be realised.”
However the project was performing to budget, the NAO found. Total
set-up costs, when the project closes in a few months’ time are
expected to be £61m compared to a budget of £63m. The additional
cost of producing the electronic element of the new passports is
estimated at £195m between 2005/06 and 2010/11. To cover these
costs, the fee for a standard adult passport went up on 5 October
2006 from £51 to £66 and for a child passport from £34 to £45.
Sir John Bourn, head of the National Audit Office, said, “The
Identity and Passport Service used sound project management
techniques and made effective use of technical specialists to
ensure the e-passports project was delivered on time and UK
e-passports meet international standards.
“However, the full security benefits of e-passports will not be
realised until UK border control readers are fully upgraded, and it
is only then that we will know the impact of this new technology on
travellers.
“To ensure future projects deliver value for money, the Identity
and Passport Service should aim to improve its engagement with
other parts of government, and develop greater in-house expertise
to reduce its reliance on external consultants.”
ID card costs on the rise
Introduction of e-passports
Read
David Lacey’s
security blog
Read
Tony
Collins’s IT projects blog
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