To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the cost will be of setting up the new identity and passport service office in Kendal. (97010)

[holding answer 24 October 2006]: No estimate of costs for individual sites has been made. The Kendal interview office has not yet been delivered to IPS but the contract requires all premises to be made available by the end of 2006.

The estimated costs of providing and running the 69 interview offices for the first year of operation (2006-07) are £58.32 million with an annual running cost from 2009-10 of £29 million. All costs will be met from passport fees.