Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Passport Application Processing

Wednesday 6 July 2022 · 5 questions

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

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 1 Partly answered 4 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Ministerial discussions with Cabinet colleagues addressed the impact of passport processing times on people in Wales.
  • The Government has recruited some of the 1700 new staff members to handle the passport application backlog.
  • Honorable Members reported many cases of constituents facing delays of 15 to 18 weeks in receiving their passports.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Alex Davies-Jones Lab Pontypridd
Immigration Wales
Context

Discussions on the impact of delayed passport applications on people in Wales, with particular attention to processing times and staffing issues.

Question

What discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on the impact of the time taken to process passport applications on people in Wales?

Answer from Simon Hart

Passport applications from Wales may be handled at all Passport Office processing sites throughout the UK. Between March and May, 98.5% of UK applications were completed within the published processing time of 10 weeks.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not provide information on specific discussions with Cabinet colleagues or address the impact of delays.

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Q2 Tan Dhesi Lab Slough
Wales Parliamentary Procedure
Context

Concern about ongoing backlog in passport applications and the impact on constituents' holiday plans. The question references a promise to recruit new staff.

Question

Can the Secretary of State clarify how many of the promised 1,700 new members of staff the Government have actually recruited to deal with the crisis?

Answer from Simon Hart

I should add, for anybody who has an interest in this particular subject, that if there are individual cases that are clearly being badly held up, they should please pass them on to the Wales Office and we will do whatever we can to expedite the service. In answer to the hon. Gentleman's question, 850 additional staff have been brought on since April 2021, with a further 350 arriving this summer.

Answered

Not addressed: null

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Q3 Chris Bryant Lab Rhondda and Ogmore
Immigration
Context

Doubt expressed about the statistics provided by the Government regarding passport application processing times. Issues raised include staffing shortages at Portcullis House.

Question

I simply do not believe the statistics the Government keep on giving, and I think the Secretary of State should push back on them. I have 30 cases outstanding and more coming in to my office every single day of the week. The team in Portcullis House used to be five people, but is now only three, so there is less of a service. Members of staff have to queue for two and a half hours to be able to deal with a single passport case. I have people who have been waiting for 14 weeks, some who have been waiting for 18 weeks, children who have been waiting for 14 weeks—this is simply incompetence. When will the Government get a grip of it?

Answer from Simon Hart

The hon. Gentleman knows that every MP has examples of their own. I can only restate what I said just now: where there are individual cases, we are very keen to help. Some 98.5% of applications are being dealt with within the timescale. I realise that for the people who are not in that particular bracket it is intensely frustrating, and it is frustrating for Members across the House. The situation continues to improve, but if there are ways we can help the hon. Gentleman and his constituents I am very happy to do so.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not provide specific actions or commitments beyond acknowledging frustration and stating that the situation is improving.

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Q4 Alex Davies-Jones Lab Pontypridd
Immigration
Context

Inquiry into support available to constituents who are experiencing significant delays in receiving their passports, affecting holiday plans.

Question

Like other Members, I have an inbox full of hundreds of constituents struggling to get their passports. Some are waiting 15 or 18 weeks, as my hon. Friend the Member for Rhondda (Chris Bryant) has said. Those people are already struggling with the cost of living crisis, they are having to fork out for the cost of passports, and now they are losing out on their vital holidays, which they have been desperately waiting for for more than two years. What support is available for those people? What economic redress is available? What conversations is the Secretary of State having with the Prime Minister—or is he too bothered with propping him up instead of dealing with people's actual issues?

Answer from Simon Hart

As the hon. Lady knows, we in the Wales Office have conversations with all Government Departments, especially on this particular issue. Staff numbers are being increased and the pace at which applications are processed continues to improve: it is at 98.5%. I realise that for people not in that bracket, this is a tough challenge, and I can only repeat what I have said in answer to the hon. Lady's colleagues: if there are individual examples we can help with, we are very happy to do so.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not provide information on specific support or economic redress available for constituents facing delays.

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Q5 Jo Stevens Lab Cardiff East
Immigration Wales
Context

Concern about the processing of Welsh language passport applications being sent to Peterborough, causing delays and additional costs.

Question

Can he explain to my constituent Jamie Dunkley and others across Wales why their Welsh language passport applications have been sent to Peterborough for processing, causing huge delays, stress and additional cost?

Answer from Simon Hart

The hon. Lady raises an interesting question; this is the first I have heard of it, to be honest. As I keep saying, at the risk of being boring, I am very happy to look into that if it is causing undue delays. Those can also be resolved by the same means I suggested earlier.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not provide a clear explanation for why Welsh language applications are processed in Peterborough and instead offered to investigate.

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