Falling Passport demand makes forecasting difficult

The recession has affected passport demand, with a fall of some 10% being recorded over the past two years. According to a recent parliamentary report the economic downturn has led to more Britons renewing at the last moment or staying at home.

The Identity and Passport Service has had to reduce its staffing levels accordingly, the decline resulting in many workers being loaned out to assist at JobCentres said David Normington the Home Office permanent secretary.

The report was made by the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee and concerned the financial management of the department. The committee claimed that there had been significant improvements since 2006 when a similar report was last published. The group stated the Home Office had made vast improvements over the past three years, suggesting that the department was operating under systems that were previously in disarray. The Home Office is now referred to by the Cabinet as a role model for effective operations in the civil service.

The committee did however point out that there was still a tendency to inform retroactively when increased spending was required, noting that the ability to forecast passport demand accurately was a difficult.

The cost for a new British adult passport has risen to £77.50, up from £66 three years ago. The total number of passports issued in the past year was 5.23 million, down significantly from 6.2 million in 2006/07. The rise in costs coupled with cheaper air travel has prompted the suggestions that last minute applications were affecting forecasting abilities.