HC Deb 11 July 1989 vol 156 cc421-2W
Mr. Stern

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many passport applications by United Kingdom citizens now remain uncleared.

Mr. Renton

The latest available figures are for the week ended 2 July, when about 500,000 applications remained outstanding, a reduction of over 36,000 from the previous week. Following the settlement of the recent industrial dispute at the passport offices, efforts are being made to reduce the backlog of applications as quickly as possible, and a number of special measures are being taken to ease the difficulties facing the travelling public. These were described in the reply given by my right hon. Friend to a question from my hon. Friend the Member for Lancashire, West (Mr. Hind) on 4 July, at columns 99–100.