Passport price preposterous, say Dundee Liberal Democrats
The Convener of Dundee Liberal Democrats has hit out at news that the Labour Government has announced another increase in the cost of passports for the second time in just 10 months.
The fee for a new adult 10-year passport is to increase by 29% from October, from £51 to £66. The Government claims this is justified to meet the costs of the new biometric passports.
"I simply do not understand why people have to pay for the Government's own decision to introduce biometric passports," said Dundee LibDem local party convener Raymond Lawrie.
"This increase will definitely come as a shock to many holidaymakers."
The introduction of biometric passports is the next step towards the government's planned ID cards scheme, due for introduction in 2008.
"The government has yet to come clean on the full costs of the ID cards scheme," Raymond continued.
"This increase is just the first instalment in the government's 'easy payment' scheme for the costs of ID cards, and it will fool nobody."