HC Deb 26 July 1978 vol 954 cc1544-6
11. Mr. Dodsworth

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he is satisfied with the arrangements which exist for the issue of passports through regional offices.

Mr. Luard

Until this year, arrangements for passport issues at regional offices have proved perfectly satisfactory. Present difficulties and delays have arisen entirely from a sudden 40 per cent. increase in overall demand this year, including monthly increases of 70 per cent. to 80 per cent. in one or two offices. Special steps have now been taken to reduce delays by the recruitment of extra staff, the transfer of work between offices, weekend working, and other measures.

Mr. Dodsworth

I thank the Minister for that reply, but does he accept that it will be regarded by some as showing undue complacency, in view of the fact that the increased number of applications was known, in some cases, from January this year? There was an increase of over 50 per cent., for example, in the Peterborough office. Secondly, the delay of seven days in opening the applications is really quite unacceptable. That causes distress to a number of people who are caused great anxiety as a result of delays of six or seven weeks.

Mr. Luard

I must disabuse the hon. Member. There is certainly no complacency on this matter. Over several weeks I personally and others have been very much concerned to try to improve the situation. I announced some of the measures that have been taken. I very much regret the delay, but it was not possible to forecast, to the extent that the hon. Member seems to suggest, the increases in demand that have taken place.

Regarding the opening of letters, I am glad to say that the situation is very much better than it was when I gave the hon. Member a written reply a few days ago. The situation now is that in all the offices except two, letters are opened on the day of arrival.

I know that many hon. Members share a justified concern on this matter. I hope that they will be willing to join with me in expressing appreciation to the very overworked staff of the Passport Office, who really have been working extremely hard. They have clone enormous amounts of overtime, including weekend working, with a view to enabling travellers to get off on time.

Mrs. Knight

Will the Minister ask the passport offices to review the practice of cashing a cheque immediately while not, perhaps, issuing the passports for many weeks? Is the Minister aware that if a commercial concern cashed a customer's cheque and failed to deliver the goods rather quickly, the whole weight of the consumer organisations would be brought down on its head?

Mr. Luard

I know that there is concern about this point, but in fact it is inevitable that cheques are cashed almost immediately.

Mrs. Winifred Ewing

Why?

Mr. Luard

Because of the difficulties of security in maintaining large amounts of cash in the passport offices—[HON. MEMBERS: "Cheques."]—without adequate protection. Contrary to what the hon. Member for Birmingham, Edgbaston (Mrs. Knight) says, I would say that the great majority of commercial firms pursue a similar practice.

Mr. Bryan Davies

As the problem obviously stems from increased demand for passports on the part of British people, is this due to our rotten weather or to the success of British Government policies in increasing the prosperity of our people in recent months?

Mr. Luard

I would guess that the reason is a combination of those factors. People have more money in their pockets at present. That has to be taken into account, together with the fact that there are reduced air fares to a number of countries.