Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make it his policy to include (a) information on and (b) opt in forms for (i) organ, (ii) stem cell and (iii) blood donation with passport application forms.

Answered by Robert Jenrick

In September the Department of Health and Social Care and the Home Office jointly announced that, during the next year, adults applying to renew their passport online will be signposted to the NHS Organ Donor Register. We will continue to work with the NHS Blood and Transplant Service to look further at how the passport application process might help raise awareness of how to register an organ donation decision in due course.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 6 June 2022 to Question 7920 on Passports: Applications, what the average waiting times were for a passport in (a) April 2021, (b) February 2022 and (c) February 2023.

Answered by Robert Jenrick

Since April 2021, passport customers using the standard service in the UK have been advised to allow ten weeks to get their passport.

The percentage of customers who received their passport within this published processing timeframe in the months requested is shown below:

April 2021: 99.4%

February 2022: 99.3%

February 2023: 99.7%

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the average waiting times for passport applications since August 2022.

Answered by Robert Jenrick

People are receiving their passports in good time. Between August 2022 and May 2023, 97.4% of customers using the standard UK service received their passport within the published processing timeframe of ten weeks.

Between January and May 2023, 99.4% of customers using the standard UK service received their passport within the published processing timeframe of ten weeks.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she is taking steps to reduce the time taken for passport applications to be processed.

Answered by Robert Jenrick

People are receiving their passports in good time. Between January and May 2023, 99.4% of customers using the standard UK service received their passport within the published processing timeframe of ten weeks.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the processing of any passport applications has been paused following the decision in Roehrig v Secretary of State for the Home Department (2023).

Answered by Robert Jenrick

On 24 May we introduced the British Nationality (Regularisation of Past Practice) Bill which will resolve the matter raised and allow HMPO to issue passports to these individuals. HMPO have written to affected customers and will keep them updated.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what guidance her Department has for UK nationals applying for passports who are unable to obtain full original birth certificates from the countries they were born in.

Answered by Robert Jenrick

His Majesty’s Passport Office engages with customers on a case by case basis where they tell us they are unable to obtain original core supporting documents, including full birth certificates, from their countries of birth. Published HM Passport Office guidance provides advice to customers and passport examiners in considering these cases and what alternative evidence can be accepted.

Supporting documents guidance assists the passport examiner and customer on what original documents we need and may ask for - Getting your first adult passport: What documents you need to apply - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Balance of probability guidance assists passport examiners in exercising discretion and what alternative documentation can be asked for in place of the missing original documents – Balance of probabilities: caseworker guidance - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Supporting documents not available guidance assists passport examiners to decide which alternative documentation to ask for from customers who are unable to obtain/provide original documentation - Supporting documents not available: caseworker guidance - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

All of the relevant guidance referenced in this response is available online for customers to read or they can contact the advice line where additional support is needed.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many passport applications took longer than ten weeks to process in the first quarter of 2023.

Answered by Robert Jenrick

Across January to March 2023, 99.6% of standard UK passport applications were processed within ten weeks.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many passport applications took longer than three weeks to process in the first quarter of 2023.

Answered by Robert Jenrick

Across January to March 2023, 94.6% of standard UK passport applications were processed within three weeks.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when her Department last reviewed the list of accepted occupations for passport application and photo countersignatories; and whether she plans to increase the number of accepted occupations on that list.

Answered by Robert Jenrick

His Majesty’s Passport Office policy on who can act as a referee is kept under review as part of the general programme of work to transform and modernise the passport application process. Any changes to the policy would be announced to Parliament and reflected in published HM Passport Office guidance.

The list of recognised professions can be found online. This is not a definitive list, and any alternatives a customer provides must be considered. Countersigning passport applications and photos: Accepted occupations for countersignatories - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to prevent delays in processing passport applications; and if she will make a statement.

Answered by Robert Jenrick

Between January and April 2023, 99.5% of customers using the standard UK service received their passport within the published processing timeframe of ten weeks.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps steps she is taking to improve waiting times for passport applications; and if she will make a statement.

Answered by Robert Jenrick

Between January and April 2023, 99.5% of customers using the standard UK service received their passport within the published processing timeframe of ten weeks.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what guidance her Department has provided to passport applicants who do not know anyone who meets the criteria for photograph counter-signatories.

Answered by Robert Jenrick

His Majesty’s Passport Office engages with customers on a case by case basis where they tell us they do not know anyone who meets the criteria for acting as an acceptable counter-signatory. Published HM Passport Office guidance provides advice to passport examiners in considering exercising discretion in these cases. Confirming ID: referees - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Customers can call the Passport Adviceline if they have questions about a passport application.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to increase the availability of appointments for priority services at the Passport Office before 6 May 2023.

Answered by Robert Jenrick

Appointments continue to be offered throughout this period of industrial action, and new appointments are released every day. As is always the case, for anyone that requires a passport on compassionate grounds for urgent travel, our services are available.

HM Passport Office has processed almost 2.6 million applications up to the end of March 2023, with 99.6% of standard UK applications being processed within ten weeks and over 94.6% being processed within three weeks.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to increase the efficiency of the passport renewal process.

Answered by Robert Jenrick

His Majesty’s Passport Office remains fully resourced following its significant increase of over 1200 staff between April 2021 and last summer. With the continued introduction of process improvements, HM Passport Office has processed more than two million applications across January and February, with over 99.5% of standard UK applications being processed within ten weeks and 95.5% being processed within three weeks.

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