Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Passport Application Processing Times

Monday 20 June 2022 · 6 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 5 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Patricia Gibson asked about the proportion of passport applications received over 10 weeks ago that have not been processed.
  • Richard Thomson criticized the Minister for not providing a figure for the passport backlog despite being asked multiple times.
  • Deidre Brock suggested meeting union representatives to ensure the Passport Office is properly funded and staffed.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Patricia Gibson SNP
Context

A large number of passport applications have been pending for over ten weeks, causing significant delays.

Question

How many and what proportion of passport applications that were received over 10 weeks ago have not yet been processed?

Answer from Kevin Foster

Across March, April and May, Her Majesty's Passport Office completed the processing of approximately 3 million passport applications, with 98.5% of those from the UK being completed within the published processing time of up to 10 weeks.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not provide a figure for the size of the backlog

How: Did Not Address Specific Ask

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Q2 Richard Thomson
Context

The Minister was unable to provide a figure for the size of the passport backlog during an Opposition day debate.

Question

It is quite remarkable, is it not, that six days on from an Opposition day debate where the Minister was asked that very question three times and failed to give a figure for the size of the passport backlog, he is still unable to give us an answer? I put it to him that perhaps the thing that would most cheer those who are languishing in that backlog—the one official piece of documentation that he could ensure is issued quickly—is his own ministerial P45.

Answer from Kevin Foster

As we saw last week, those who have nothing to offer by way of policy like to go personal. To help the hon. Member, the question was about the proportion of passport applications received. He got an answer to it, but his supplementary makes it clear that he has no ideas of his own to offer.

Not addressed: Did not provide a figure for the backlog or address previous failure

How: Changed Subject, Personal Attack

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Q3 Deidre Brock SNP
Context

The Public and Commercial Services Union has commented that the passport backlog is due to a lack of staff, poor management, and failures on the part of contractors.

Question

Rather than blaming staff or suggesting more privatisation, will the UK Government meet union representatives in order to learn what action is needed to ensure that the Passport Office is properly funded and staffed?

Answer from Kevin Foster

We are certainly grateful for the hard work that staff are putting in, and, as I said last week, it is a pity that we are seeing their efforts being rubbished for political ends. We have been recruiting more staff at the Passport Office and investing in the modernisation of processes, and we engage regularly with senior HMPO officials, as well as ensuring that union officials can have their say.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not commit to meeting union representatives specifically

How: Rubbished Political Attacks

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Q4 Patricia Gibson SNP
Immigration
Context

Civil servants working at the Passport Office are under huge pressure, leading to low staff morale.

Question

How much longer must we wait for passport offices to be fully staffed and resourced, so that my constituents are not subjected to yet another aspect of Backlog Britain?

Answer from Kevin Foster

Dearie me! In fact, we have been increasing the number of staff at the Passport Office rather than reducing it as the hon. Lady has implied. We have dealt with 3 million applications in three months, and soon we will have dealt with more in six months than we did in the whole of last year.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not provide a timeline or specific commitment for full staffing

How: Claimed Increasing Staff

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Q5 Paul Maynard Con
Immigration
Context

There have been issues with the delivery of passports to their intended recipients.

Question

Can the Home Office do more to ensure that each passport reaches the intended household rather than a random neighbour, a random bush or indeed a random river?

Answer from Kevin Foster

It is concerning to hear of those examples, because there are clear standards and procedures for how passports are delivered: they cannot, for example, just be left in a communal area. We have engaged DHL, which is normally our international agent for domestic deliveries, and have also used Royal Mail to return documents.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not provide specific measures or timeline

How: Referenced Existing Procedures

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Q6 Philip Davies Con
Context

There are still some issues with the passport backlog.

Question

Can he tell us what proportion of Passport Office staff are back in the office, and, while he is at it, can he help me with the case of Wendy, who is still waiting for a passport?

Answer from Kevin Foster

As we have said a couple of times before at the Dispatch Box, people involved in the passport operation have been back in the office for some time. However, we are happy to expedite cases like that of my hon. Friend's constituent, when there are reasons for travel that are both compelling and compassionate.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not provide information on staffing levels

How: Expedited Specific Case

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