Britons who have to pay £72.50 for an adult passport have some news to rejoice. The current fee was criticised by the Home Affairs Select Committee which condemned a “complete management failure” at the agency and called for significant cuts in the prices charged for a passport, possibly by as much as £15. The report by the committee added that Her Majesty’s Passport Office (HMPO) should be abolished and taken under direct ministerial control.
Citizens who endured delays and costs when tens of thousands of passport applications were not processed in time from May 1 onwards might be eligible for compensation – although the report did not clarify how much money should be paid out.
The committee chairman, MP Keith Vaz, said, “This has been a summer of chaos at the passport office. The state should not be exploiting its own citizens by making a profit on what is a basic right”.
According to him, it was 'scandalous' that HMPO staff had received bonuses of £674,000 over the last two years. “The management of this organisation would be unlikely to survive to the final round of The Apprentice,” Mr Vaz went on.
It was stated in the report that “while it is right that applicants are asked to cover the cost of the passport, it is clear that the price they are paying is too high, which is resulting in repeated, large surpluses”.
It suggested HMPO should consider reducing costs to “break even point”, which would be just under £58, a fall of nearly £15.
The Home Affairs Select Committee Report was highly critical of an attempt by HMPO to solve the backlog by relaxing security checks, potentially damaging UK's national interests and security.
The immigration minister, James Brokenshire, said, “HMPO faced unprecedented demand in 2014. Over five million passports have been issued so far this year”.
