Beorn
07-24-2009, 03:25 PM
SCOTS who need to urgently renew their passports have been asked to travel to Durham or Belfast because the Glasgow office is too busy. And while the Identity and Passport Service say it’s purely down to the summer rush, an angry MSP claims it’s because Glasgow has been “swamped” by postal applications from England. :rolleyes2:
That’s even though Glasgow officially stopped processing postal applications last year.
The IPS offers “Fast Track” one-week and “Premium” one-day services for those who need a passport in a hurry. They require customers to make an appointment and appear in person at their regional office.
Struggling
But in recent weeks Scots phoning the advice line have been struggling to be seen in Glasgow, the only office in Scotland.
Many have been told they’ll have to go to the next nearest office — Belfast or Durham.
One of those was David McLeish, from Stewarton in Ayrshire. He booked a holiday to Turkey for his daughter Hayley (20), due to fly out on July 14.
Then he discovered Hayley’s five-year passport expired a few weeks ago and called the IPS helpline. He said, “We called the helpline on the Monday and hoped to get an appointment that week but were told it wasn’t possible at Glasgow.
“Apparently our nearest office is Belfast, but as Hayley would need her passport to board a plane to get there it wasn’t an option.
http://www.ferryto.co.uk/
http://www.freefoto.com/images/2026/05/2026_05_1---P-O-Pride-of-Bilbao-Ferry_web.jpg
:laugh:
“The only slot they could offer us was in Durham on the Friday.”
Campaign
David contacted SNP MSP Sandra White, who has campaigned against job cuts in Glasgow and the “running down” of the passport service in Scotland.
He said, “After Mrs White’s intervention my daughter was offered an appointment in Glasgow and she got her passport.”
Glasgow MSP Mrs White said, “Sources have told me Glasgow is inundated by postal applications from England and staff have no time to attend to anything else.
(Bloody English! Is there nothing they won't do? First they take our lives, then our freedom...now they take our PASSPORTS!!!)
“Almost 100 jobs were cut at the Glasgow office last year and this is the result — a depleted staff working round the clock.
“It’s a disgrace to ask anyone living in Scotland to travel to England or Northern Ireland to get a passport — especially because the reason is the office here has been deluged by postal applications from down south.
(Why don't you take that up with your officially elected SNP member? :rolleyes2:)
“Applications from Scotland should have priority at our country’s only passport office. It’s another erosion of the service in Scotland. It’s now little better than second rate compared to the rest of the UK.”
Cuts
Until last year’s cuts 284 people were employed at Glasgow. The job losses were part of a “restructuring exercise” the IPS said was necessary due to a falling demand.
Glasgow would no longer handle postal applications but the counter service would remain unaffected.
An IPS spokesman confirmed Glasgow had been asked to help process postal applications. He confirmed Scots customers were being offered appointments in other offices, but not because of postal applications.
He said, “In recent weeks Glasgow was requested to undertake some postal work to assist other offices maintain national turnaround targets. This was not at the expense of counter activity.
“We are experiencing high volumes of business across the UK and cannot guarantee customers will be able to get an urgent appointment on the day of their choosing.
“Where urgent appointment slots are available at short notice in other offices we will offer customers the option of attending another office.
“Any increase in postal applications has no impact on counter services.”
Source (http://www.sundaypost.com/news4.htm)
That’s even though Glasgow officially stopped processing postal applications last year.
The IPS offers “Fast Track” one-week and “Premium” one-day services for those who need a passport in a hurry. They require customers to make an appointment and appear in person at their regional office.
Struggling
But in recent weeks Scots phoning the advice line have been struggling to be seen in Glasgow, the only office in Scotland.
Many have been told they’ll have to go to the next nearest office — Belfast or Durham.
One of those was David McLeish, from Stewarton in Ayrshire. He booked a holiday to Turkey for his daughter Hayley (20), due to fly out on July 14.
Then he discovered Hayley’s five-year passport expired a few weeks ago and called the IPS helpline. He said, “We called the helpline on the Monday and hoped to get an appointment that week but were told it wasn’t possible at Glasgow.
“Apparently our nearest office is Belfast, but as Hayley would need her passport to board a plane to get there it wasn’t an option.
http://www.ferryto.co.uk/
http://www.freefoto.com/images/2026/05/2026_05_1---P-O-Pride-of-Bilbao-Ferry_web.jpg
:laugh:
“The only slot they could offer us was in Durham on the Friday.”
Campaign
David contacted SNP MSP Sandra White, who has campaigned against job cuts in Glasgow and the “running down” of the passport service in Scotland.
He said, “After Mrs White’s intervention my daughter was offered an appointment in Glasgow and she got her passport.”
Glasgow MSP Mrs White said, “Sources have told me Glasgow is inundated by postal applications from England and staff have no time to attend to anything else.
(Bloody English! Is there nothing they won't do? First they take our lives, then our freedom...now they take our PASSPORTS!!!)
“Almost 100 jobs were cut at the Glasgow office last year and this is the result — a depleted staff working round the clock.
“It’s a disgrace to ask anyone living in Scotland to travel to England or Northern Ireland to get a passport — especially because the reason is the office here has been deluged by postal applications from down south.
(Why don't you take that up with your officially elected SNP member? :rolleyes2:)
“Applications from Scotland should have priority at our country’s only passport office. It’s another erosion of the service in Scotland. It’s now little better than second rate compared to the rest of the UK.”
Cuts
Until last year’s cuts 284 people were employed at Glasgow. The job losses were part of a “restructuring exercise” the IPS said was necessary due to a falling demand.
Glasgow would no longer handle postal applications but the counter service would remain unaffected.
An IPS spokesman confirmed Glasgow had been asked to help process postal applications. He confirmed Scots customers were being offered appointments in other offices, but not because of postal applications.
He said, “In recent weeks Glasgow was requested to undertake some postal work to assist other offices maintain national turnaround targets. This was not at the expense of counter activity.
“We are experiencing high volumes of business across the UK and cannot guarantee customers will be able to get an urgent appointment on the day of their choosing.
“Where urgent appointment slots are available at short notice in other offices we will offer customers the option of attending another office.
“Any increase in postal applications has no impact on counter services.”
Source (http://www.sundaypost.com/news4.htm)