HL Deb 23 January 2002 vol 630 cc204-5WA
Lord Lipsey

asked Her Majesty's Government:

How many passports were lost between dispatch from the Passport Agency and receipt by the applicant. [HL2285]

Lord Rooker

The United Kingdom Passport Service issues more than 5 million passports each year, the majority of which are issued via first-class post.

The number of passports recorded as lost in the post in the last three calendar years are shown below:

  • 1999: 2,359
  • 2000: 3,851
  • 2001: 2,541.

The United Kingdom Passport Service and Consignia are working on a number of initiatives to prevent losses of dispatched passports in the postal system.