Passports to be cheaper - why?

vivatifosi

I was really annoyed when I read this story. The government plans to reduce the price of passports by £5 from the Autumn, following £40m of efficiency savings in the Passport Office.

Are they mad? Why not either a) spend on deficit reduction, or b) bolster the staffing at Heathrow so that people can pass through customs in less than 2 hours, and periods where people are waived through unscreened are avoided?

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ukpress/article/ALeqM5ipcggW3S4Ga1mhsbpfMtsozzozwg?docId=N0121741341997592127A

I know this is a drop in the ocean compared to the deficit as a whole, but why reduce charges when you don't have to?

chewmylegoff

Ridiculous. £5 off a passport doesn't help anyone, but £40 million worth of border guards does.

purch

vivatifosi wrote: »

I was really annoyed when I read this story.

You need to stop reading this stuff Viva or you'll end up like me :eek:

CLAPTON

seems reasonable that the price of a passport ought not be a tax but simply to recover the cost.

Graham_Devon

vivatifosi wrote: »

Are they mad? Why not either a) spend on deficit reduction, or b) bolster the staffing at Heathrow so that people can pass through customs in less than 2 hours, and periods where people are waived through unscreened are avoided?

I really don't know, but it's fitting as I said this on another thread today:

If we have made the savings through cutting, what's the point in using those savings to cut taxes?! It's just halting the pain now to extend it until another day.

I honestly fail to see the point.

Yes, as you say, it might be a drop in the ocean, but add up all these drops....

lemonjelly

So posh people can still go on their foreign jollies innit? Meanwhile the masses stay here...

They should whack the price up to promote people holiday in the UK, to keep the tourism expenditure in our economy...

Graham_Devon

I wouldn't class someone as posh just because they have a passport!

Neither would I think £5 would make any difference to their holiday plans....posh or not!

gardner1

£40 million....think of all the g4s staff they could hire to help at heathrow;)

purch

lemonjelly wrote: »

They should whack the price up to promote people holiday in the UK,

It is illegal under numerous United Nations treaties to torture your citizens :eek:

POPPYOSCAR

I asked this question on a similar thread.

Apparently they are not allowed to make a profit and have made substantial savings by cutting back.

I asked why it could not be used for the NHS for example and was asked if I was Gordon Brown!!

grizzly1911

Graham_Devon wrote: »

I wouldn't class someone as posh just because they have a passport!

Neither would I think £5 would make any difference to their holiday plans....posh or not!

On the basis they went up in leaps and bounds a few years ago they already priced out the prols. £300 for a family of four with their own passports:mad: Oh and the same again if you need to renew one just in case your status as changed:mad::mad::mad::mad:

PS. I have one, last used 4 years ago, but anything to help the UK keep discretionary spending in house would be good.