The Midsomer Norton MP writes:

A number of constituents have written to me over the past few months as regards the problems that they have been encountering with H.M. Passport Office.

Whilst the backlog seems to be improving, I thought that I would use this week's column to provide some passport information.

When you are applying for an adult British passport for the first time, your lack of 'track record' means that it will take longer for your application to be processed. You should, therefore, allow more time for your passport application to be dealt with.

Applying for a child passport is more complicated. This is because there are many important safeguarding rules in place to guarantee the child's welfare. As with the process of applying for a first adult passport, applying for a first child passport may sometimes take longer than renewing one. 

Renewing an adult British passport is considerably easier than applying for your first one because you are already a known quantity to the Passport Office. Therefore, the time it takes to process the application is generally shorter.

If you want to renew a child's British passport, it will still require more work than the equivalent process for an adult passport. Fortunately, it is still easier than applying for your child's first passport.

The waiting times have been poor, leading to postponed trips or, worse still, people losing money. The delays are, in part, owing to the pandemic but my recent request (as Minister for Brexit Opportunities and Government Efficiency) was designed to encourage civil servants to return to the office so that they can do their job as efficiently as possible. This is especially important where legal documents, such as passports and driving licences, cannot be processed at home.

If you need any assistance on a passport matter or any other issues please do not hesitate to contact me: www.jacobreesmogg.com / [email protected].