Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what funds his Department has spent on advertisements promoting online passport applications in each of the last three years; and what funds he plans to spend on promoting online passport applications in the next financial year.

HM Passport Office (HMPO) has an ambitious transformation plan to increase digital applications, helping to reduce operational expenditure by removing paper and customer errors from the process.

In June 2016, HMPO launched its first fully digital online application service for adults renewing their passport. This launch was supported by no cost communications activity, including PR and stakeholder engagement. Last financial year (2017/18) a small scale paid search campaign, costing £9,665, was trialled to encourage customers to use the online application channel. In this financial year (2018/19) a marketing campaign, costing £536,639.04, was delivered via radio and digital advertising.

A re-launch of the marketing campaign in 2019/20 has been planned, forecast at £1m. This activity is dependent on the outcome of the EU Exit withdrawal agreement.