Passport Applications: Processing Delays (Hansard, 23 June 1989)

§ The Earl of Arran
My Lords, passport applications are processed according to the applicant's travel requirements, with priority being given to urgent cases. As a result, delay times in a given period vary considerably and averages are not recorded. The maximum processing time at present for straightforward non-urgent postal application at the London passport office is 36 working days and at Glasgow 55 working days. Most applications are processed well within these periods.

Lord Campbell of Croy
My Lords, I thank my noble friend for that Answer. It is good news that a settlement may be near, but what action can be taken to restore the situation? Can he estimate how long it will take to eliminate the present delays because the holiday plans of thousands of citizens are still at risk?

§ The Earl of Arran
My Lords, the Government wish to apologise for any inconvenience caused to those who wish to travel abroad but who have been delayed by not receiving a passport. It is not easy to answer precisely my noble friend's question, but an offer has been put to the unions and we hope that a settlement will be achieved shortly. However, I am bound to say that, even if the present industrial action is immediately called off, there is little prospect of a return to a normal passport issuing service until the end of the summer peak.

§ Lord Mishcon
My Lords, I am sure that members of the public will have noted the courtesy of the Minister in apologising, but does he believe that it is likely to restore their ruffled and almost tortured feelings about the delays which have taken place? Is it not a fact that there has now been offered to a reasonable union acting for the employees in the passport office an immediate increase of 203 staff, a review of the future staff requirements and an independent inquiry into the computer system and into facilities which are to be improved for both the public and the staff? Were not those proposals made two years ago by the union and repeated in this House? Why must the Government invite strike action before making the present concessions, thus saving the public all the inconvenience?

§ The Earl of Arran
My Lords, the passport department managers have proposed to the unions an increase of 203 permanent staff compared with the union claim for 381. That is on condition that the unions co-operate with a number of measures aimed at improving the future handling of the work. The CPSA staff at the Liverpool passport office have voted to accept the offer. However, demand so far this year has risen by 8.4 per cent. on last year's record levels. The manual system of passport production is outdated. Teething troubles with computer systems at Glasgow and Liverpool mean that it is not yet working to full capacity. As all noble Lords know, we are at the peak period for passport applications and we hope that normal service will be resumed as quickly as possible.

§ Lord Hailsham of Saint Marylebone
My Lords, is my noble friend aware that in the days before the 422 First World War when my father took my mother to the Continent of Europe for their annual holiday they never needed a passport, except for Tsarist Russia? Is he also aware that in about 1945 Mr. Ernest Bevin used these memorable words: My idea of a foreign policy is to take a ticket from Victoria station and go where the hell I want"? Are they not examples greatly to be imitated?

§ The Earl of Arran
My Lords, naturally I was unaware of the circumstances of my noble and learned friend's family. However, as he will appreciate, times have moved on since then.

§ Lord Bottomley
My Lords, my passport comes to an end in October. Can the Minister tell me whether I should send it in now for renewal in order to make sure that I receive it, or is that not allowed?

§ The Earl of Arran
My Lords, I advise the noble Lord to send his passport for renewal as soon as possible.

§ Lord Boyd-Carpenter
My Lords, is my noble friend aware that the delays in the issuing of passports and the consequent gross inconvenience to the public—which considerably preceded the industrial action taken by the passport office staff—are accentuated by the insistence on the rule that the holder of a perfectly good passport, with plenty of space still left, is compelled to turn it in for destruction and replacement simply because he has held it for 10 years? Is he aware that the situation could be eased substantially if that absurd requirement were dropped?

§ The Earl of Arran
My Lords, a passport must be renewed after a 10-year period for a simple reason. I dare venture to say that, during the passage of time, even the face of my noble friend has changed and will continue to do so. That must be reflected in the form of a new photograph at regular intervals; in other words, every 10 years.

§ Lord Peston
My Lords, does the noble Earl recall that I asked the same Question two years ago and obtained an answer concerned with photographs. Has he recently looked at his own passport photograph? Is he under the impression that it bears any resemblance whatever to himself? Is not the question raised by the noble Lord, Lord Boyd-Carpenter, perfectly serious? Why can we not have permanent adult passports as we have driving licences?

§ The Earl of Arran
My Lords, sadly, my current passport photograph in no way compares favourably with the photograph taken 10 years ago. For that reason they must be renewed every 10 years.

§ Lord Boyd-Carpenter
My Lords, is my noble friend aware that I should be prepared to sue for defamation anyone who recognised me by my passport photograph? Is he also aware that, if the photograph is so important, a great deal of time and effort would be saved if holders were asked simply 423 to replace the photograph with another while keeping the whole passport and not destroying it?

§ The Earl of Arran
My Lords, that is a novel idea of which I had not previously heard. I cannot answer my noble friend at present because the details are probably too complicated. However, I shall consider the question and at a later date I may be able to answer him.

§ Lord St. John of Fawsley
My Lords, is my noble friend aware that when the passport is handed in one will receive not another blue British passport but a limp piece of vermilion plastic? Can he do something about that so that we can retain our traditional blue passport?

§ The Earl of Arran
My Lords, it is possible to retain the traditional passport. It will end only when computerisation is reached in all six offices throughout the United Kingdom. However, once the new passport is totally established—that is, the limp passport to which my noble friend unfairly referred—it will remain a United Kingdom passport. However, the cover will readily identify my noble friend as a citizen of a European Community country. We shall benefit from moves towards easing frontier formalities in the Community. Most important, when computerised production is fully established, there should be a more efficient issuing system.

Lord Campbell of Croy
My Lords, has my noble friend observed on his way to the Home Office the long queues stretching round the block from the Passport Office in Petty France, even at 9.00 a.m? That is tangible evidence of the frustration and anxiety now being caused.

§ The Earl of Arran
My Lords, I have seen those queues myself. Delay in postal applications naturally increases the number of personal callers who may be inquiring about delayed applications, lodging applications or, indeed, collecting passports. The London office deals with about 3,500 personal callers per day. It may also interest your Lordships to know that fire regulations limit the numbers in the hall to 600. Obviously, any excess must wait outside for safety reasons. Queues mainly form before the office opens at nine o'clock.

§ Lord Rodney
My Lords, can my noble friend explain what the rules are about obtaining a temporary passport from the post office if one is needed very urgently?

§ The Earl of Arran
My Lords, it is possible to go to a post office and there to obtain a British visitor's passport.