HC Deb 22 May 1989 vol 153 cc393-4W
Mr. Alton

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) whether he will provide extra staff for the Liverpool passport office to clear the current backlog of applications;

(2) if he will provide extra staff to ensure that people telephoning the Liverpool passport office have their calls answered.

Mr. Renton

Yes. Additional staff have been employed to help deal with the backlog, and the telephone system has been improved to increase the number of incoming calls that can be handled. A system of free two-year extensions to the life of expired passports is being introduced to help relieve the immediate problem.