HL Deb 14 July 1988 vol 499 cc928-30

3.20 p.m.

Lord Boyd-Carpenter asked Her Majesty's Government:

What action they are taking to improve the efficiency of the service to the public given by the passport office.

The Minister of State, Home Office (Earl Ferrers)

My Lords, the whole system by which passports are issued in the United Kingdom is being computerised in a phased programme starting this month at the Glasgow Passport Office and extending to all six passport offices by the end of 1989.

Computerisation is intended to enable the passport offices to provide a quicker and more reliable service to the public, especially at times of peak demand.

Lord Boyd-Carpenter

My Lords, I thank my noble friend for that interesting reply. Is it to be assumed from his Answer that until this computerised system is running and has overcome the initial troubles that such systems always have, we cannot look for any improvement in the long delays suffered by persons applying for passports or simply for renewal of them?

Earl Ferrers

My Lords, my noble friend will be aware that at this time of the year the demand in applications for passports is at its greatest. In fact, it is up 25 per cent. on last year. Certainly when the peak season has passed there will be a more expeditious turn-around on applications.

Lord Elwyn-Jones

My Lords, can the Minister say how long it takes to obtain a passport on application to the passport office?

Earl Ferrers

My Lords, I am sure that the noble and learned Lord would like to know that it depends on the passport office to which he directs his application. For non-urgent postal applications to London, the average length of time is 49 days; in Glasgow it is 34 days; Peterborough takes 32 days; Newport 20 days; Liverpool 15 days and in Belfast it is three days.

Lord Orr-Ewing

My Lords, can my noble friend explain why it was thought that there would not be an increase in demand for passports in the summer months? Has this not happened every year since passports were introduced? Is it not possible to foresee such an event and perhaps re-employ some retired people who would be happy to return to work in order to offset the peak period, improve efficiency and speed up delivery? Does he not agree that it is unacceptable in these days to wait two and a half months for a passport to be supplied when every other nation can do it in a matter of days?

Earl Ferrers

My Lords, of course these things are possible to anticipate. That is the reason why the Government are spending £7 million trying to expedite matters by a programme of computerisation. It is possible to obtain a quicker, 10 to 15-day service if one calls at the passport office in person; but it means that the more people who apply in person, the longer it takes to deal with all the applications.

With regard to the other point raised by my noble friend concerning the employment of more people, 270 more staff have been recruited since the beginning of this year and 61 per cent. more overtime has been spent on dealing with passport applications this year than was spent last year.

Lord Bonham-Carter

My Lords, does the Minister agree that the increase in staff was largely in order to take up the backlog of unopened letters at Lunar House and elsewhere which caused a certain amount of trouble? Can he tell us how many unopened letters now remain at Lunar House?

Earl Ferrers

My Lords, I think that the noble Lord has Lunar House on the brain. We are talking about a totally different place. Lunar House deals with immigrants; we are dealing with passports. One is in and the other is out.

Lord Boyd-Carpenter

My Lords, is my noble friend able to say whether the figures that he gave to the noble and learned Lord, Lord Elwyn-Jones, for the current period are better or worse than they were at the same time last year?

Earl Ferrers

My Lords, my noble friend will be delighted to know that they are better. This year the figure for London is 49 days while last year it was 65 days; this year for Glasgow it is 34 days and last year it was 49 days; for Peterborough it is 32 days compared with 24 days last year; Newport takes 20 days whereas last year it took 49 days; and Liverpool now takes 15 days whereas last year's figure was 38 days. Belfast remains the same at three days.