Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

HM Passport Office: Service Standard Times

Monday 25 April 2022 · 3 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 3 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Labour MP Grahame Morris expressed concern over passport delays affecting holidays in his constituency.
  • The Passport Office reported that over 90% of cases were completed within six weeks between January and March.
  • The office advised constituents to allow up to 10 weeks for passport applications due to the surge in demand.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Grahame Morris Lab Easington
Context

The HMPO is struggling to meet its service standard times for passport applications due to unprecedented demand following the pandemic.

Question

I am concerned about families and children in my constituency losing holidays because of delays. My staff have been misadvised, hung up on, and received broken promises from the Passport Office despite previous effective links with local offices to resolve complaints. Why can I not deal directly with my local office for assistance?

Answer from Kevin Foster

Between January and March, over 90% of cases were completed within six weeks. However, I recognise the point about MPs' contacts and will look into improving this interface.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specific ask regarding direct contact with local offices was not addressed in detail.

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Q2 Grahame Morris Lab Easington
Immigration
Context

The HMPO is failing to meet its service standard times, causing constituents to cancel holidays and miss important events.

Question

All our constituents are cancelling holidays due to passport delays. The new 10-week target is routinely missed. What measures will be taken to avoid this situation getting worse? Can we ensure the target won't be extended further as summer approaches?

Answer from Kevin Foster

We dealt with over a million passport applications last month, up to four times our usual annual rate. For compelling reasons such as funerals, expedited processing is available. We advise allowing up to 10 weeks for an application and are sending texts to remind people to renew expired passports.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specific ask regarding measures preventing worsening issues was not fully addressed.

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Q3 Stuart McDonald SNP
Immigration
Context

The HMPO is struggling to meet its service standard times for passport applications due to unprecedented demand.

Question

The surge in demand should have been foreseeable. Constituents report either good or terrible experiences with the office, especially for urgent travel needs like funerals and holidays. The process is unreliable and officials often lie to constituents when contacted.

Answer from Kevin Foster

We processed nearly four times as many passports by mid-March compared to early January. We agree that the MP hotline's performance must be reviewed, particularly for compelling reasons such as funerals.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specific ask regarding improving reliability was not fully addressed.

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