§ Mr. Nicholas BennettTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the total cost of issuing passports in each of the past 10 years; and what was the annual revenue received in each of these years.
§ Mr. RentonThe table below shows the available information for the financial years 1981–82—1988–89 covering;
together with the revenue accruing from the issue of such passports.
- (a)the cost of issuing standard United Kingdom passports in the United Kingdom and at United Kingdom consular posts overseas, and;
- (b)the cost of issuing British visitor's passports, mainly at Crown post offices in Great Britain,
Information for earlier years is not readily available.
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(a) Standard passports (b) British visitors' passports Issuing costs £ million Revenue £ million Issuing costs £ million Revenue £ million 1988–891 33.7 44.6 9.0 17.7 1987–88 31.7 38.7 9.4 17.7 1986–87 26.5 39.9 10.2 14.9 1985–86 25.6 34.7 9.3 11.8 1984–85 25.9 33.8 8.2 12.4 1983–84 14.6 25.3 8. 8.5 1982–83 14.8 22.3 7.7 7.7 1981–82 12.8 19.8 7.0 9.9 1 Provisional. Notes:
- 1. Figures under (a) for 1981–82 to 1983–84 exclude overseas costs and revenues.
- 2. Revenues include an element for non fee-bearing Consular services available to United Kingdom passport holders abroad.