Written question asked by Lord Roberts of Llandudno (Liberal Democrat), in the House of Lords. It was answered by Baroness Neville-Jones (Conservative) on Friday, 22 October 2010.

Passports

Question: To ask Her Majesty’s Government which passport offices will serve Wales and the South West of England if the Newport passport office is closed.

Answer: The Identity and Passport Office indicated on 8 October 2010 that a consultation process would commence on the future of the Newport passport office as a passport processing centre. It is intended to retain a customer service centre in Newport which will enable applications to continue to be made in person and to be conducted in the Welsh language. In addition, applications for a renewed or new passport can continue to be made online via the Directgov website at http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Diol1/DoltOnline/ DG_4018268. The Identity and Passport Service is currently reviewing its interview process to identify ways in which it can enhance its approach to fraud prevention and detection. The outcome of the review will be announced shortly.

Secondary information