Question to the Home Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether there is a backlog of applications for passports; if so, what is the size of the backlog; and when they expect this backlog to be cleared.

Due to COVID-19, Her Majesty’s Passport Office continues to operate at reduced staffing levels so its people can continue to socially distance. It is therefore taking longer than usual to process passport applications.

As part of its contingency arrangements, HM Passport Office is rapidly increasing its capacity for processing passport applications, in line with public health guidance, which will help to ensure it continues to meet the travel needs of its customers.

As at 7 July 2020, work in progress of approximately 126,000 passport applications is 31% higher than at the same period last year. There are a further 284,000 applications which will need to be worked through in the coming weeks once initial documentation has been received and allocated, which is an increase of 172% from last year.