Commentary on Sections Schedule 1: Enforcement Powers Section 10: Provision of biometric information with citizenship applications
68.This section enables regulations made under section 41 of the 1981 Act to make provision for biometric information to be required when a person applies to become a British citizen.
69.Subsection (3) makes amendments to section 41 of the 1981 Act, so that the references to “authorised person” and “biometric information” have the same definitions as those contained in section 126 of the 2002 Act. It provides that the safeguards in relation to taking biometric information from children under the age of 16, which are set out in the 1999 Act, apply equally to regulations made under the 1981 Act. It also provides an exception to the requirement, contained in section 8(5)(b) of the 2007 Act, that biometric information be destroyed as soon as reasonably practicable once a person becomes a British citizen to enable photographs submitted as part of a citizenship application to be retained until that person is issued with their first British passport.