Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to tackle delays in responding to passport renewal applications.

Since April, Her Majesty’s Passport Office has been advising its customers to allow up to 10 weeks to receive their passport, which will help to ensure British travellers continue to receive their passport in good time for when they are able to travel, including in the periods of the very highest demand.

Information about the typical processing times for applications completed in the previous week can be found at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/hm-passport-office/about-our-services#processing-times-in-the-uk

HM Passport Office have a range of tried and tested contingency arrangements available, including the flexing of resources from across the Home Office and other government departments, while continuing to explore new options to maximise its ability to cope with an unprecedented demand as international travel opens up.