Figures show the number of valid UK passports fell by more than 2.5 million during the first two calendar years of the pandemic (Yau Ming Low/Alamy Stock Photo/PA)
Downing Street has stepped up the pressure on Passport Office chiefs to clear major delays in applications which have left millions fearing travel chaos this summer.
Cabinet Office Minister Steve Barclay discussed the crisis with bosses from the Passport Office last week amid concerns that the service is struggling to handle a surge in applications following the Covid-19 pandemic.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson last week threatened to “privatise the arse” off the Passport Office unless the service was able to meet the massive increase in demand which has seen five million applications since travel restrictions were lifted.
Mr Johnson’s official spokesman said on Tuesday that while the Prime Minister’s focus was not on privatisation, he wanted to see the service improved.
“The point being made is we want the service to improve. We don’t think it’s right that hard working people wanting to go on holiday are seeing these sorts of delays,” Mr Johnson’s spokesman said.
“Clearly the focus is not on privatisation, it’s on improving the service whether it’s in public service or private hands.
“There is a large amount of work being done in the Home Office and Passport Office to clear the backlog.”
The Passport Office has insisted “there is no backlog in passport processing as a result of the coronavirus pandemic”.
However it has blamed “unprecedented demand as more than 5 million people delayed applying for passports during Covid-19 because of restrictions in international travel”.
The Passport Office predicts 9.5m British passport applications will be made this year and in March 2022 alone, it processed more than 1m new passport applications, the highest output on record.
It says the vast majority of all passport applications are being dealt with well within 10 weeks and has stepped up staffing levels but there have been reports of 700,000 applications still awaiting clearance.
