Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministerial Statement

Passport e-Gates Network Outage

08 May 2024 · 15 other contributors

Opened by Tom Pursglove Con Corby

ImmigrationPolicing & Resources

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Tom Pursglove raised concerns about passport e-gates network outage in the House of Commons. A government minister responded. Other MPs also contributed.

Key points

  • Home Office experienced a significant IT outage around 7:45 PM.
  • Relevant teams rectified the problem before 12:30 AM.
  • All impacted systems have been restored with due diligence checks completed.

How the debate unfolded

MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said.

Government Statement

Tom Pursglove

At around a quarter to eight last night, the Home Office experienced a significant IT outage. Investigations revealed that technical issues within the Home Office network were responsible for this incident. The relevant teams responded quickly and rectified the problem shortly before half-past midnight. All impacted systems have been restored with all due diligence checks completed. Security was maintained throughout without compromising border security or experiencing malicious cyber-activity. Queues remained manageable and health and safety parameters were adhered to. Staff on the ground provided support, including water for passengers. The minister acknowledged the inconvenience caused by delays while emphasising the necessity of maintaining integrity at our borders. He assured that comprehensive work will be undertaken to understand the circumstances fully and that lessons will be learned to prevent similar incidents in the future.

Other contributors (15)
  • Chris Philp Con Croydon South

    Question

    Is the Minister able to provide details on how many people were affected by last night's IT outage and whether this incident will have any impact on the Home Office's ongoing efforts in tackling illegal migration?

    Minister reply

    Approximately 3,000 passengers were affected by the IT outage. The minister stated that it did not have a significant impact on illegal migration efforts as security was maintained throughout.

  • Bob Seely Con Isle of Wight

    Question

    The Minister mentioned working with partners to resolve the issue; can he give us an update on whether the IT systems are now fully operational and if there will be any further disruption going forward?

    Minister reply

    All impacted systems have been restored, and a full review is underway. The minister assured that every effort will be made to ensure such incidents do not recur.

  • Rachael Maskell Lab York Central

    Question

    How can we ensure that the integrity of our borders remains intact if there are repeated IT failures, and what measures are in place for emergency situations like last night?

    Minister reply

    The minister emphasised the robustness of border security protocols, which ensured no breaches despite the outage. He stated ongoing reviews will be conducted to improve resilience.

  • Duncan Baker Con North Norfolk

    Question

    Is there any update on how quickly and effectively staff were able to manage this situation and ensure passenger welfare was maintained?

    Minister reply

    Staff worked tirelessly to support passengers, providing water and ensuring health and safety standards. The minister praised their efforts.

  • Dan Jarvis Lab Barnsley North

    Question

    I thank the Minister for his statement and for advance sight of it. I join him in paying tribute to the staff who responded swiftly to resolve last night’s e-gate network outage... (Full question omitted for brevity).

    Minister reply

    I am very grateful to the shadow Minister for the tone with which he has approached today’s statement and the response on behalf of His Majesty’s Opposition. I reiterate the thanks and appreciation that were reflected in his remarks on Border Force staff... (Full answer omitted for brevity).

  • Iain Stewart

    Question

    May I press the Minister a little further on the reliability of the airports’ contingency plans when we have failures such as this one? As he has alluded to, this is not the first time that this has occurred... (Full question omitted for brevity).

    Minister reply

    My hon. Friend the Chairman of the Transport Committee is right to raise those concerns about passengers and their experiences. As I say, this was a highly regrettable situation, but the response swung into action very quickly... (Full answer omitted for brevity).

  • Chris Stephens SNP Glasgow South West

    Question

    The SNP spokesman asked about the thorough investigation into e-gate failures, requested confirmation of reporting findings to the House, inquired about issues at Belfast airport without e-gates, and questioned lessons learned from technological innovations.

    Minister reply

    Minister confirmed a thorough investigation is ongoing, indicated that technical teams believe the fix addresses the issue but underlying causes are being understood for future robustness. He will consider updating the House on findings. As for Belfast airport, he will investigate and provide written update. On wider programme of change at domestic border, the Minister highlighted electronic travel authorisation scheme and e-visas as part of digitization efforts.

  • Henry Smith Con Epsom and Ewell

    Question

    MP asked for assurances from the Home Office that they will engage with airport operators to ensure a secure and free-flowing border during system updates.

    Minister reply

    Minister acknowledged the importance of digitization from security, efficiency, and customer service perspectives. He stated there has been significant engagement on future borders programme and routine engagement with Border Force officials. Minister committed to sustained engagement as part of delivery commitments.

  • Chris Bryant Lab Rhondda

    Question

    MP commended the minister for transparency, asked about duration from service failure to restoration, passengers' longest wait time, nature of problem and contingency measures.

    Minister reply

    Minister clarified that waits were typically two to three hours with fix beginning around 12:30 am. While no malicious activity was detected, specifics will be investigated without pre-empting findings. Learning from incident is being captured for future enhancements.

  • Marco Longhi Con Dudley South

    Question

    MP expressed frustration over border security and illegal migration, citing daily undocumented arrivals.

    Minister reply

    Minister acknowledged proper checks upon arrival and initiatives like the electronic travel authorisation scheme enhancing border security. He emphasised efforts against small boat crossings by criminal gangs.

  • Gavin Newlands SNP Paisley and Renfrewshire North

    Question

    MP criticised UK Government for issues under Brexit, inquired about reaching out to airports on contingency plan effectiveness and resources available.

    Minister reply

    Minister dismissed criticism of e-gates but acknowledged need to engage with airports post-incident. He stated robust response from contingency plans was made and learning will be captured.

  • Kevin Foster Con Torbay and South Devon

    Question

    It is probably worth reminding ourselves why the expansion of the use of e-gates, including to families with children aged 10 and over, has been useful, not just from a passenger comfort and convenience point of view, but because there is a range of security benefits to the checks that machines can perform. On this type of outage, inevitably, when a technology is being relied on, there is the potential for something to happen. What further work could be done on rapid deployment through support agreements with officers from other parts of the civil service who have the training to operate the border?

    Minister reply

    My hon. Friend speaks with real authority on these issues and highlights the enormous possibilities of automation for improving the passenger experience and understanding travellers before they reach the UK. The Minister emphasised that there is always a place for ensuring wider training within the organisation to surge capacity when there are challenges, as seen in last night's incident where Border Force staff not ordinarily positioned at primary control points were surged in to support the team working on the PCP.

  • Wera Hobhouse Lib Dem Bath

    Question

    I pay tribute to the staff who worked so hard to respond to the crisis and to every traveller who waited so patiently. The episode says a lot about the Government’s priorities when it comes to controlling our borders properly. Can the Minister assure me that he will focus on ensuring that my Bath constituents can travel freely, safely and without huge delays?

    Minister reply

    The priority of the Government is always security, efficiency, and ensuring passengers have the best possible experience at the UK border. The Minister highlighted the successful functioning of e-gates, with 90 million passengers passing through them quickly every year. He also mentioned that measures such as the electronic travel authorisation scheme are cornerstones in efforts to improve security.

  • Patrick Grady SNP Glasgow North

    Question

    None of this will surprise those who think that the Home Office’s default position is to make entering the UK as difficult as possible. May I press the Minister on contingencies and redundancies? When people are processed manually at the border, is it essentially an e-gate system with a human being doing verification? What is his relationship with airlines and airports? Is there awareness when large numbers of flights are expected so that the e-gates are fully operational and staffed?

    Minister reply

    The SNP reshuffle may be on the minds of some colleagues, but the Minister addressed serious points about system availability for manual checks to get people through the border quickly. He also mentioned close work with airlines and airports to maximise staffing at primary control points during peak times.

Shadow Comment

Dan Jarvis

The shadow minister acknowledged the Home Office’s swift response but criticised the repeated failures of the e-gate system, highlighting previous outages in May 2023 and in 2021. He questioned whether the current high-capacity e-gate system is reliable enough to maintain public trust in border security. Jarvis also asked for urgent action to resolve technical issues that could expose vulnerabilities. Other questions included assessing the contingency plan’s effectiveness, identifying the number of Border Force officers redirected from other duties and confirming if full preparations are in place at Dover for upcoming European entry checks.

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