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Chamber and committees

Question reference: S5W-06508

  • Asked by: Ben Macpherson, MSP for Edinburgh Northern and Leith, Scottish National Party
  • Date lodged: 24 January 2017
  • Current status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 2 February 2017

Question

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on whether people on low incomes in Scotland are less likely to own a passport or driving licence.


Answer

The Scottish Government does not hold passport data. Nationality and citizenship are matters that are fully reserved to the United Kingdom Government under the Devolution Settlement. The responsibility for issuing passports sits with HM Passport Office, which is part of the Home Office.

Data from the Scottish Household Survey (SHS) shows that possession of a full driving license increases with income. In 2015, 45 per cent of adults living in low-income households (net annual household income of up to £10,000) held a full driving licence, increasing to 89 per cent of those in high-income households (net annual household income of over £40,000).