- 11
Wednesday, May 23, 1973
INCREASING DEMAND FOR BRITISH HONG KONG PASSPORTS
The number of applications for British (Hong Kong) passports
received by the Immigration Department is rising steadily, the Colonial
Secretary, the Hon Sir Hugh Norman-Walker, indicated today.
He told the Legislative Council that during the first four months
of this year a total of 12,685 applications were received.
Although he was satisfied that sufficient staff were provided to
deal with these applications, he said that if this substantial upward trend
continued, he would have to approach the Finance Committee for additional staff.
During the summer months, when demand was greatest, relief staff
were normally deployed from other sections of the department to help process
the applications.
Processing of straight forward applications, he said, normally
took 10 working days. But during the summer rush it could sometimes take
14 working days to process an application.
In a few cases, processing could take longer when qualifying documents
for the issue of a passport were not initially in order or where some doubt
existed as to the applicant's eligibility.
Even in such circumstances, however, a passport could usually be
issued within six to eight weeks of application.
Sir Hugh said that if more time was taken this would be due to the
applicant's slowness or inability to produce the necessary proof to establish
his eligibility.
/But