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Business of the House

When my right hon. Friend gets around to reading the book of early-day motions, which I know he takes seriously, I hope that he will reach early-day motion 972, on the Post Office and UK passport services. [That this House notes that key passport services have been provided across the UK for many years through the Post Office network with the result that Post Office Ltd and its employees have developed considerable knowledge and experience of these services, yet that the UK Passport Service intends to procure 70 new offices to act as sites for interview for first time passport applicants under rules that will not allow interviews on premises that also provide Post Office services; believes that security sensitive services like passport interviews should be carried out by civil servants in suitable publicly-owned offices; does not believe that the creation of a new network of privately owned offices at considerable expense to the taxpayer is either necessary or desirable when the proposal contains rules which deny the Post Office a level playing field on which to compete and denies the public the use of available Crown post offices which they have indicated they prefer to use in the pilot studies while simultaneously undermining the long-term viability of a publicly-owned enterprise; and calls on the Government and UK Passport Services to alter the rules to allow the utilisation of the Post Office network to carry out these interviews.] Will my right hon. Friend ask the responsible Home Office Minister to explain to the House how the Government could draw up a contract whereby the Post Office cannot use Crown offices or offices also used for postal services to interview people for their first passport, thus preventing the Post Office, which we own, from using premises in every high street for that service? That is a ludicrous decision, which threatens the Post Office and will force taxpayers to pay for 70 new outlets that will be used only for passport interviews. That wholly ludicrous decision should be explained to the House.