Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to tackle the backlog of applications in 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 that passport applications can be processed in higher numbers than ever before. This was demonstrated in March and April 2022 when HM Passport Office achieved record outputs by completing the processing of two million applications.

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