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UK passports: Firm appeals move to make them in France De la Rue given more time to challenge passport decision
(about 3 hours later)
The existing manufacturer of British passports is appealing against the decision to use a Franco-Dutch supplier after Brexit. The UK government has granted a two-week extension to the bidding process to make the new British passports.
De La Rue lost the £490m contract to Gemalto, which is based in France, in March. UK company De La Rue had requested the longer "standstill period", which has been agreed by the Home Office.
The British company admitted its bid was not the cheapest but said it was "the highest quality and technically most secure". It now means a decision will now be made on Tuesday, 17 April.
The Home Office said the chosen firm met the needs of the passport service. De La Rue had lost the £490m contract to French-Dutch Gemalto in March. The British firm had earlier said it was preparing to take the government to court over the proposed move.
The burgundy passport, in use since 1988, will revert to its original blue and gold colour from October 2019. However, people are expected to keep their current passports until they expire. De La Rue's bid was not the cheapest but it said it was "the highest quality and technically most secure".
A spokesperson for De La Rue said: "We can accept that we weren't the cheapest, even if our tender represented a significant discount on the current price. "We have a preferred bidder, which demonstrated it was best able to meet the needs of the passport service, delivering a high quality and secure product and providing best value for money for the taxpayer… that remains the government's position," said the prime minister's official spokesman.
But the extension "will give all bidders the chance to find out more detail and get more information from the Home Office… this is standard process."
The spokesman added: "This has been a rigorous, fair and open process."
The current EU-themed burgundy passport, in use since 1988, will revert to its original blue and gold colour from October 2019. However, people are expected to keep their current passports until they expire.
Before the bidding process extension, a spokesperson for De La Rue had said: "We can accept that we weren't the cheapest, even if our tender represented a significant discount on the current price.
"It has also been suggested that the winning bid was well below our cost price, which causes us to question how sustainable it is.""It has also been suggested that the winning bid was well below our cost price, which causes us to question how sustainable it is."
The decision to give a foreign company the contract had been criticised by pro-Brexit government figures.The decision to give a foreign company the contract had been criticised by pro-Brexit government figures.
Under EU procurement rules, the Home Office was required to open up the bidding process to European firms, although De La Rue has manufactured UK passports since 2009.Under EU procurement rules, the Home Office was required to open up the bidding process to European firms, although De La Rue has manufactured UK passports since 2009.
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The Home Office said 20% of blank passport books were currently already produced in Europe. The Home Office had said the proposed Gemalto deal could save the taxpayer £100m-£120m and that 70 new jobs would be created in the UK, at sites in Fareham, in Hampshire, and Heywood in Lancashire.
It also said the new deal could save the taxpayer £100m-£120m and that 70 new jobs would be created in the UK, at sites in Fareham, in Hampshire, and Heywood in Lancashire. It comes as a Daily Mail petition calling for the Home Office to give the contract to a British firm reached 273,000 signatures.
The legal challenge comes as a Daily Mail petition calling for the Home Office to give the contract to a British firm reached 266,000 signatures.
The Home Office issues more than six million passports annually and is the only provider of passports to British citizens.The Home Office issues more than six million passports annually and is the only provider of passports to British citizens.