§ Mr. WrayTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent improvements have been made to speed up the process of application for passports and renewing passports. [70134]
§ Beverley HughesOn 14 January 2002, the United Kingdom Passport Service (UKPS) introduced two new guaranteed services at its counters: a premium same day service for renewals and a fast-track one week service for all applications. The standard service, available by post or through the UKPS High Street partners (i.e. selected branches of the Post Office and Worldchoice travel
690Wagents) is two weeks. This is not guaranteed but is currently being met in 99.5 per cent of applications. A pilot exercise to test the possibility of extending the fast track service to the High Street partners is currently taking place. Applications for passports can also be completed by telephone or on the Internet; the completed form is posted to the applicant for signature. Improvements to the electronic application channel are being developed on which the UKPS has sought the views of the Consultative Panel of Passport users. It would be technically possible for the improved electronic application channel to be available through private sector partnerships but there are no specific proposals at present.