§ Ms WalleyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will extend to all post offices the authority to issue passports. [132417]
§ Mrs. RocheNo. To ensure international acceptance of the British passport, its integrity and the security of the issuing process, the authority of the issuing process needs to remain with the United Kingdom Passport Agency. The Quinquennial Review of the Agency the report on which my right hon. Friend, the Home Secretary, published on 28 June confirmed that the Government should continue to be responsible for the issuing of the British passport.
894WThe Passport Agency does have arrangements with Post Office Counters Ltd which enable applicants for a small additional fee to have their applications checked for completeness and sent on to one of the Agency's offices for return within 10 days. This service is currently available from 1,500 main post offices, and the Post Office aim to extend this to a further 500 offices by early 2001.