§ Mr. Nicholas Edwardsasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is aware that his Department is taking between 10 and 15 days to open passports sent in to their office at 271 High Holborn, that it takes a further three to four weeks to send a reply to the correspondents, and that to obtain an answer on the telephone is excessively difficult; and what action he will take to remedy the situation.
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§ Mr. SharplesMy right hon. Friend is conscious that the volume of work in the Immigration and Nationality Department has led to undue delay. About 175,000 Commonwealth citizens and foreign nationals a year call with applications or enquiries and telephone calls are running at nearly 100,000 a year. In addition about half a million letters a year are received. Remedial action is in hand.