Travellers are set to face an inflation-busting increase in passport fees. The cost of a passport is set to rise to £77.50 - an increase of 7 per cent, the Home Office admitted last night.
Fewer Britons are going abroad as families tighten their belts in the recession, meaning applications for passports have fallen 400,000 below the expected level.
The service's income, which is entirely dependent on fees, has subsequently been left with a £32million black hole.
As a result, officials say fees have had to be raised to make the books balance.
That's OK. Once the economy recovers and more people need passports again, the price will, without doubt, be reduced accordingly.
What are you sniggering at? Was it something I said?
