§ Mr. BeithTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment was made of the required level of staff which would be needed following introduction of the new information technology systems by the UK Passport Agency; if he will publish a summary of the Agency's report on staffing requirements; and if he will make a statement. [90686]
§ Mr. Mike O'BrienI have placed a summary of the business case for Private Sector Involvement in the Issue of the British Passport, produced by the UK Passport Agency in July 1997, in the Library. Paragraph 49 gives an estimate of Agency staffing levels under the chosen option as 930 permanent staff equivalents. This was based on demand estimated at an average 4 million services a year across the 10 year period of the contracts.
§ Mr. BeithTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the forecast number of passport applications to be made in(a) 1998 and (b) 1999; what was the actual number of applications in 1998; what is the current estimate of the number of applications for 1999; and if he will make a statement. [90591]
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§ Mr. Mike O'BrienThe UK Passport Agency forecasts the number of passport applications on the basis of financial years. The forecasts published in the Agency's 1998–2001 Corporate Plan were 4.5 million in 1998–99 and 5.0 million in 1999–2000.
During the year, the Agency revised its 1998–99 forecasts upwards from 4.5 million to 4.9 million to allow for a greater take up of children's passports than its statistical model forecast. In the event, the actual intake for 1998–99 was 4.8 million.
The Agency continues to analyse the impact on its forecast for 1999–2000 of its recent operational problems and the measures implemented as a result.
On available information, the Agency's latest forecast for 1999–2000 is for 5.2 million applications which again makes greater allowance for the effect of the child policy against the modelled 5.0 million.