§ Mr. Nicholas BennettTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications are currently waiting to be processed at each passport office; what action is being taken to eliminate the backlog; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. RentonIt is estimated that some 500,000 applications for passport services are at the various stages of processing within the six United Kingdom passport offices. Applications are being processed at a rate of around 75,000 a week, according to the applicant's travel requirements, with priority being given to urgent cases.
A sharp increase in demand early this year has led to a general increase in processing times. Staff at Glasgow and Liverpool are adapting to a new computerised system of passport issuing, and accommodation changes at other offices have also affected output. Additional staff have been employed to help deal with the backlog, and a system of free two-year extensions to the life of expired passports submitted for replacement has been introduced at Liverpool to help relieve the immediate problem there.
§ Mr. WigleyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many passports sent to the Liverpool office for renewal have now been extended for two years as announced in his oral answer to the hon. Member for Fylde (Mr. Jack) of 11 May,Official Report, column 978; and what effect this has had on turnaround times.