A Durham MP has expressed concerns about staff welfare at Durham passport office following a backlog of applications.

Mary Foy, MP for the City of Durham, has called for workers at HMPO (Her Majesty’s Passport Office) Durham to raise any concerns about working conditions with her.

The MP revealed she was refused a permit to visit the passport office to discuss issues with staff, and was told that a visit must be delayed until later in the year.

Mary Foy MP said: “HMPO Durham is a major employer in my constituency and that is why I am concerned that, having requested a visit to HMPO Durham to discuss the issue of backlogs with staff, this has been refused by HMPO.

“It is important that workers at HMPO Durham receive the proper support they need through this difficult period, whether that is from senior leadership or from the Government. 

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“That is why I have asked workers at HMPO to email me with any concerns they might have about passport backlogs and the current working environment within HMPO.

“I’m aware that many individuals feel unable to speak out publicly, which is why I’m inviting anonymous contributions. No worker should feel silenced by their employer. 

“Ultimately, better working conditions mean a more effective application process. I am looking forward to seeing what staff have to say.”

Many people have been left waiting more than 10 weeks for their passport applications to be processed, with some being unable to travel due to delays.

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Prime Minister Boris Johnson claimed that to the best of his knowledge, ‘everybody is getting their passport within four to six weeks’, during Prime Ministers Questions last month.

MPs are set to discuss the issue of passport application backlogs in Parliament on Tuesday (June 14).

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