News release

Passport office plea from council

West Lothian Council is condemning plans to downgrade Scotland’s passport office.

The council has agreed to write urging the Scottish Government to call on the Identity and Passport Service to maintain passport processing at Glasgow.

The council is also calling on the Westminster Government to reconsider plans to reduce the service provided at Glasgow.

And it is seeking the backing of all Scotland?s councils to support its plea.

" We are deeply alarmed at proposals by the Identity and Passport Service to make around 100 staff redundant at Scotland?s only passport office at Glasgow, fuelling fears that counter services will go and customers will face delays and disruption in having their applications processed," said Executive councillor for services for the community Frank Anderson.

" This will lead to a quarter of the workforce being lost as a result of this remodeling programme. The restructuring of the Identity and Passport Service appears to be nothing more than a centralisation of services with the transfer of jobs from Scotland to south of the border.

" These proposals have longer term implications for the passport service in Scotland and we are particularly concerned about the impact they may have on the excellent service currently enjoyed by the people of Scotland.

" It will lead to the Glasgow office stopping passport processing by the end of the year. We understand that this processing work will be transferred to other sites in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

" We condemn the lack of consultation with both workers and the trade unions over this issue.

" We will now be contacting the Scottish Government and the Westminster Government in a bid to maintain the service provided by the Glasgow passport office. We will also be seeking the support of councils across Scotland."

Date: 06-05-2008