§ Lord Lester of Herne Hillasked Her Majesty's Government:
What they consider to be a reasonable time within which the Passport Agency should deal with applications for passports. [HL2840]
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord Williams of Mostyn)I believe a reasonable time for the Passport Agency to process straightforward properly completed applications is 10 working days, which is the target the agency is currently working to.
55WAIn processing its current backlog of work to meet its customers' travel needs, the agency is prioritising applications by declared travel dates. This means there are delays in processing non-urgent work. The agency aims to reduce its turnaround time for straightforward properly completed applications to 10 days by September.
§ Lord Lester of Herne Hillasked Her Majesty's Government:
What has been the average period of time for determining applications for passports during each of the last three years in Belfast, Glasgow, Liverpool, London, Newport and Peterborough respectively. [HL2841]
§ Lord Williams of MostynThe average processing time for passport applications in each of the Passport Agency's six offices in the last three years is shown below.
Average processing time for passport applications (DAYS) 1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 London 3 2 4 Newport 6 6 9 Liverpool 7 7 10 Peterborough 5 6 9 Glasgow 8 8 10 Belfast 6 6 7
§ Lord Lester of Herne Hillasked Her Majesty's Government:
What measures they intend to introduce to ensure that applications for passports are dealt with within a reasonable time at each of the Passport Agency's offices. [HL2842]
§ Lord Williams of MostynThe Passport Agency is taking a number of measures to reduce current delays in processing passport applications. It is prioritising applications received in the post and made in person by customers' declared travel dates, and is meeting these dates for 99.99 per cent. of passports issued. The agency is employing additional staffing resources, streamlining its examination processes consistent with the need to maintain the integrity and security of its issuing procedures, and working extended hours. In order to clear quickly straightforward renewal applications, certain existing passports are being extended for two years.
The agency is currently experiencing very high seasonal demand and this together with its focus on customers' declared travel dates means there are delays in processing non-urgent applications. The agency will continue to meet customers' travel dates throughout the summer and aims to reduce its turn-round time for straightforward applications to 10 days by September.
56WA
§ Lord Lester of Herne Hillasked Her Majesty's Government:
What are the reasons for the delay in processing applications for passports. [HL2899]
§ Lord Williams of MostynThe delays in processing passport applications have been caused by teething problems with the introduction of new computerised passport issuing arrangements which since early October 1998 have been piloted in the Liverpool passport office and from mid-November last year in the Newport passport office. The new system provides a new more secure passport, improved security and a better customer information system. But productivity from the new system has been lower than expected, and arrears of work have built up.
Also, the Passport Agency is dealing with very high seasonal demand for passports—currently up over 20 per cent. on last year, with far more children's applications being received than expected.
One of the measures the agency is taking to meet its customers' travel needs is to prioritise applications by declared travel dates. This inevitably means that non-urgent applications are taking longer to process.
The agency is meeting travel dates for 99.99 per cent. of the passports issued, and will continue to do so throughout the summer.
§ Lord Lester of Herne Hillasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they have any plans to privatise the Passport Agency; and, if not, why not. [HL2843]
§ Lord Williams of MostynWe have no plans to privatise the Passport Agency. There is already substantial private sector involvement in the agency's business through contracts with Siemens Business Services for the initial processing of applications, and the provision of a new computerised issuing system, and with Security Printing and Systems Ltd. for the personalisation and printing of the new more secure British passport. Establishing the eligibility of an applicant for a British passport remains a function of the Passport Agency. This is core state business, and full privatisation of the agency would not be appropriate.