This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-29376335
The article has changed 5 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Home Office takes charge of passports | Home Office takes charge of passports |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The UK's Passport Office is to be brought under Home Office control and made accountable to ministers, Home Secretary Theresa May has announced. | The UK's Passport Office is to be brought under Home Office control and made accountable to ministers, Home Secretary Theresa May has announced. |
| The decision follows a summer which saw thousands of holidaymakers affected by a backlog in applications, which peaked at 537,663 in late June. | |
| The changes mean the Passport Office's chief executive Paul Pugh will be replaced. | |
| He will remain until a successor - working as director general - is named. | |
| Mrs May had been forced to introduce a number of emergency measures to tackle the backlog, which is now around 80,000. | |
| But earlier this month, the Home Affairs Committee said passport applicants who paid more than £30 extra for a "fast-track" service had been "exploited" and should receive a refund. | |
| Announcing the changes, Mrs May said: "As the events of the summer showed, it is essential that HMPO is run as efficiently as possible and is as accountable as possible" | |
| The move to the Home Office will take effect from 1 October. | The move to the Home Office will take effect from 1 October. |