§ Mr. VazTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on current practice concerning the return of passports to those who make applications. [65167]
§ Kate HoeyThe Immigration and Nationality Directorate's (IND) normal practice is to return passports by second class post when the application has been decided. Applicants may of course ask for passports to be returned earlier, to collect them personally, or may stipulate and pay for alternative delivery arrangements. As the Under-Secretary, my hon. Friend the Member for North Warwickshire (Mr. O'Brien) explained in his letter of 18 November last to hon. Members, IND is currently undergoing major organisational changes aimed at improving the way it handles casework. Urgent work, including the return of passports to applicants for travel, has continued to receive priority treatment during this transitional period, but the upheaval associated with the process of change has impacted upon the service IND is able to provide to applicants. IND is currently unable to expedite the cases of applicants wishing to travel; passports required urgently for travel during the brief transitional period will therefore be returned unendorsed.
Passports submitted to the Passport Agency for renewal are returned to applicants having been cancelled when their applications have been processed. These are returned by first class post unless the applicant requests and pays for delivery by registered post. In exceptional circumstances applicants are not required to leave behind their existing passports while obtaining a renewal. If they call into an Office the passport can be checked and handed back. When the new passport is collected the existing one can be cancelled. New passports are normally sent out using first class post. The passports of customers calling in person at the Agency's Offices are returned by first class post except when applicants are travelling urgently and prefer to collect their passports. The Passport Agency asks customers to apply for passports at least one month ahead of their travel dates although normally properly completed applications are processed within 10 working days of receipt.
§ Mr. VazTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many passports were lost by the Home Office in 1998 and what compensation was paid as a result. [65166]
§ Kate HoeyThe available records show that ex-gratia payments totalling £11,256 were made or offered in 1998 in respect of 69 claims for passports or other documents lost in the Immigration and Nationality Directorate.
202WInformation on passports lost in the Passport Agency's offices is not recorded, but such loss is extremely rare. Lost passports and documents submitted in support of passport applications are replaced free of charge to the applicant.