1.1 From February 1999, the United Kingdom Passport Agency (the Agency) encountered increasing difficulties in meeting demand for passports. By June 1999, 565,000 applications were awaiting processing, amounting to a backlog of over a month's work, compared to a maximum of nearly 300,000 the previous year. At its peak, maximum processing times in the Agency's regional offices ranged between 25 and 50 days, against a target for issuing a passport within a maximum of 10 working days days of receiving a valid application. The Agency's difficulties caused much anxiety for members of the public hoping to travel during the Summer. Public concern escalated until July 1999, when emergency measures helped ease the pressure on the Agency. Processing times were brought back within the 10 day target by the end of August. This report examines the reasons underlying the problems encountered by the Agency and identifies lessons for the future.