Watchdog warns against repeat of passport delays
Gareth Davies, the head of NAO, said the Passport Office did process a "record number of applications" but dealing with a higher-than-average demand led to "delays for hundreds of thousands of people".
"HMPO must now learn the lessons from this year and prepare for similar levels of demand that are expected in 2023." In May, more than 1.2m applications were received - with the busiest week seeing 340,000 requests submitted. The report said about three million passport applications are still expected from people who did not renew or apply during the pandemic - meaning a further 9.8m applications could be seen in 2023.
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