§ Mr. Teddy TaylorTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make inquiries into the reasons why Mr. Emrys Frederick Williams of 154 Maplin Way, Thorpe Bay, Southend-on-Sea, Essex, who sent his passport for renewal to the passport office, Peterborough, on 16 March, to enable him to attend his daughter's wedding in the United States of America, has not yet received his passport, although the Department acknowledged the receipt of his application on 23 March (Number 7); and when he expects the passport office to be able to deal with passport applications more expeditiously.
§ Mr. RentonA replacement passport was posted on 9 May. Applications showing an early date of travel are given priority at the passport, offices. As Mr. Williams had indicated that he did not intend to travel until 5 July, his application was not regarded as urgent.
I announced on 31 March, at columns 680–81, in reply to a question from my hon. Friend the Member for Skipton and Ripon (Mr. Curry), a number of special measures to reduce delays at the passport offices in advance of computerisation of the passport-issuing system.