§ 35. Mr. GILBERTasked the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs the number of British passports issued by his Department to British and naturalised subjects for the years 1920, 1921, and 1922?
§ Mr. McNEILLThe total number of passports issued at the Passport Offices in London and Liverpool during the years referred to was
These figures do not include renewals.
1920 329,800 1921 255,539 1922 243,542
§ 36. Mr. GILBERTasked the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether all British passports are issued only at the Foreign Office in London; whether there are any provincial departments, either in the North of England, Scotland, or Northern Ireland, where passports are issued; if so, will he state where they are; whether any staff of his Department are employed on this work and, if so, how many; and what is the approximate annual cost?
§ Mr. McNEILLPassports for British subjects resident in Great Britain and Ireland are issued only at the Passport Office in London and the Branch Passport Office at Liverpool. The staff employed at the Liverpool office at the present moment is 45, but this total is varied in proportion to the volume of work. The estimated cost of the Liverpool office for the present year is £5,835.
§ 37. Mr. GILBERTasked the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether his Department maintain any officials or staff at any of the seaports in this country in order to check or verify the passports issued to British subjects leaving or entering this country; if so, can he state how many persons are so employed and what is the approximate annual cost of such staff; and, if not, can he state if his Department issue any instructions to Customs or police on the matter?
§ Mr. McNEILLThe answer to the first and third parts of this question is in the negative. The point raised in the second part does not, therefore, arise.