asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on staff shortages at the passport office in Glasgow in relation to delays in passport applications.

Delays in dealing with passport applications at the Glasgow passport office have been caused by industrial action rather than staff shortages. There are 108 staff in post, 25 above the normal permanent complement and seven more than the number in post at the end of June last year (temporary staff are recruited each year to deal with the seasonal rise in demand). Since 15 April this year, 393 man days have been lost at the Glasgow passport office through strike action over Civil Service pay.