Nigel Evans, Member of Parliament for the RibbleValley, has today lambasted the decision to raise the cost of passports. The cost of getting a new passport is to rise by more than £5 - or 7% - with ministers blaming a drop in income following a fall in applications. From 3 September, the cost of an adult passport will rise from £72 to £77.50 while a child's will rise by £3 to £49.

Speaking from Westminster, Mr Evans said,

“This decision is yet another tax on families in all but name. 7% is an enormous rise, relatively speaking.

 “What amazes me is that the price of a passport has more than doubled in the last five years. New technology accounts for some of that rise but it does seem that people are now paying the price for a failed ID card scheme. Ministers have no idea of the eventual take-up of the now voluntary cards and the scheme is going to lose money hand over fist. Rather than trying to claw that money back by raising the price of passports, the scheme should be scrapped altogether.

 “The feeble reason given by ministers that the rise is due to a lack of demand is nonsense. The Government is attempting to balance the books and hoping nobody will notice. In any other industry, a lack of demand would lead to a sale and a drop in prices! The Home Office is not fooling anybody.”