No10 steps up strain on passport delays

Cupboard Workplace Minister Steve Barclay mentioned the disaster with bosses from the Passport Workplace final week amid issues that the service is struggling to deal with a surge in purposes following the Covid-19 pandemic.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson final week threatened to “privatise the arse” off the Passport Workplace except the service was capable of meet the large enhance in demand which has seen 5 million purposes since journey restrictions had been lifted.

Mr Johnson’s official spokesman stated on Tuesday that whereas the Prime Minister’s focus was not on privatisation, he needed to see the service improved.

“The purpose being made is we would like the service to enhance. We don’t suppose it’s proper that onerous working folks eager to go on vacation are seeing these kinds of delays,” Mr Johnson’s spokesman stated.

“Clearly the main target is just not on privatisation, it’s on enhancing the service whether or not it’s in public service or non-public arms.

“There may be a considerable amount of work being carried out within the House Workplace and Passport Workplace to clear the backlog.”

The Passport Workplace has insisted “there isn’t a backlog in passport processing on account of the coronavirus pandemic”.

Nonetheless it has blamed “unprecedented demand as greater than 5 million folks delayed making use of for passports throughout Covid-19 due to restrictions in worldwide journey”.

The Passport Workplace predicts 9.5m British passport purposes will probably be made this 12 months and in March 2022 alone, it processed greater than 1m new passport purposes, the very best output on document.

It says the overwhelming majority of all passport purposes are being handled properly inside 10 weeks and has stepped up staffing ranges however there have been reviews of 700,000 purposes nonetheless awaiting clearance.