Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to improve turnaround time and service at HM Passport Office.

Ahead of unrestricted international travel returning, HM Passport Office prepared extensively to serve an unprecedented number of customers, with 9.5 million British passport applications forecasted throughout 2022.

These preparations have ensured passport applications can be processed in higher numbers than ever before. This was demonstrated in March 2022 when HM Passport Office achieved a record monthly high by completing the processing of over one million applications, and 98.6% of applications completed within the 10 week standard timeframe according to most recent stats.

Ministers continue to meet regularly with officials to monitor performance, and to explore further options which will help to ensure people receive their passports in good time.