Baroness Anne McIntosh of Pickering has taken up the Chair of the Board of the revamped PASSCO Community Interest Company, which operates the PASS scheme and accreditation of all PASS card issuers.
Baroness McIntosh is highly qualified to take on the role thanks to her early background in the law, 10 years’ experience as an MEP and a further 18 years as an MP. Most recently she chaired a Lord’s committee created to look in depth at the Licensing Act 2003, which reported in April 2017 and whose recommendations are under active consideration by the Home Office.
Baroness McIntosh said “I am delighted to take on the responsibility for the newly restructured PASS Board.
It is crucial that access to and control of age-restricted products is well enforced in the UK. Increasingly widespread take-up, use and acceptance of PASS cards – especially in the night-time economy – are central to achieving that aim.
“I am delighted to be joining a more representative PASS Board that includes card issuers, and which is both fit for purpose and fit for the future. The recent changes that have been made will improve PASS’s focus, decision making and – with even greater support from government and its agencies – will heighten its ability to deliver wider acceptance of PASS cards right across the UK.
“My priorities in my first year include raising the profile of PASS and winning even more support and engagement with the scheme from key organisations, including the Home Office, the Police, the Passport Office, the DVLA and an increasing number of local authorities. The Police and other enforcement agencies have a huge role to play in reinforcing confidence in PASS with the public, with retailers and with front-line staff. My aim – with the support of the PASS Board – is to put PASS cards at the very top of the list of Proof of Age documents.”
Victoria Atkins, the Home Office Minister for Crime, Safeguarding and Vulnerability, said:
“I am delighted that Baroness McIntosh has taken on the role of PASS Chair. The role they play in accrediting suppliers of Proof of Age Cards in the UK is vital for providing confidence in the validity of these cards.
“Sellers of age restricted products, such as alcohol, can be confident in accepting all cards with PASS holograms. The National Police Chiefs’ Council has also allowed its hologram to be reproduced on all PASS cards as a way of demonstrating its full support.
“I look forward to working with Baroness McIntosh to improve both the take-up and acceptance of PASS cards across the UK.”
