§ Lord AMULREEasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they can confirm that the renewal of a valid British passport takes four weeks, and how this period compares with the time taken in Germany and France.
§ Lord CARRINGTONFour weeks' notice is asked for on passport forms because seasonal increases in demand lengthen the processing time of non-urgent applications. The average processing time is currently two and a half weeks.
In France and Germany passports are issued locally and processing times vary considerably according to local conditions making comparison with the United Kingdom system impracticable.
House adjourned at sixteen minutes past eleven o'clock.