§ 6. Mr. Jacques ArnoldTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the average processing time for a non-urgent passport application at the London passport office; and what was the comparable period six months ago.
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department (Mr. Peter Lloyd)The London passport office is processing straightforward non-urgent applications in a maximum of nine working days, compared with 32 working days six months ago.
§ Mr. ArnoldI am sure that the holiday-making constituents of most hon. Members will be encouraged by that response, but is there not a danger of backsliding in the run-up to the next holiday season? What steps have been taken to ensure adequate staffing?
§ Mr. LloydWe are determined to avoid the difficulties that we had last year and we have increased computer capacity at Glasgow and Liverpool. We have taken on 220 additional permanent staff and the Belfast office is being expanded. Work will be transferred between offices next summer to ensure a balanced load between them.
§ Mr. RandallHow can the public be confident that the Minister's statement will not result in the chaos that we have had in recent years? Growth figures have been predictable and now we understand that the computer has gone wrong. Will the Minister implement the proposals in the Coopers and Lybrand report? Will he give us an 458 assurance that at Easter, next summer and at future peak periods we will not have the mess and chaos that we have experienced in recent years?
§ Mr. LloydI can give the hon. Gentleman the assurance that we have taken the steps that I have described. We have the situation very much in mind and have every reason Ito believe that the performance of the passport department will be excellent next year—[Interruption.]
§ Mr. SpeakerOrder. The hon. Member for Birmingham, Selly Oak (Mr. Beaumont-Dark) should stop shouting across the Chamber. If he looks at the Order Paper he will see that it contains another question on the Birmingham Six.