Passport service set to return to Wick

PASSPORT interviews could be re-introduced in Caithness two years after an office in Wick closed down and forced first-time applicants to travel over 100 miles to see an official.

Discussions have taken place between the Home Office and Highland Council about setting up video link interviews from the makeshift council offices in Girnigoe Street.

At the moment, residents who wish to obtain a passport for the first time are required to travel to Inverness to be interviewed by video link by staff from the Home Office.

However, should the discuss-ions bear fruit, the new service in Wick would be operational by April.

Caithness civic leader Gail Ross yesterday said the re-introduction of passport interviews in Wick would be a huge boost to residents in the far north, saving them time and money.

"I’m aware that there have been ongoing discussions between the Home Office and the council with a view to re-introducing passport interviews in Wick," she said.

"As in Inverness, this will take the form of a video link with passport staff down south.

"Highland Council staff won’t be responsible for conducting the interviews – they will facilitate and manage any resulting paperwork."

Added Mrs Ross: "Obviously it was a massive blow when we lost the office in Wick but things are looking positive and we hope to be able to offer the service some time after April.

"This is great news for people who would have otherwise have to make a lengthy journey for an interview."

The former passport office opened in January 2008 at Wick Business Park and operated on a part-time basis, five days a week.

But the office was only open for three years and closed in June 2011 as part of £24 million cutbacks at the Home Office.

The three Wick-based staff were then offered redeployment elsewhere.

It was expected a mobile service would travel to the far north to conduct interviews but this failed to materilaise with only going as far as Inverness. This has since left first-time applicants facing a round trip of over 200 miles for a 30-minute interview.

The closure was met by widespread criticism from councillors and members of the Royal Burgh of Wick Community Council who condemned the move as another example of services being centralised to the detriment of people living in the North Highlands.

Interviews for first-time applicants are a recent addition to the passport process set up by the Government’s Identity and Passport Service to help combat identity theft.

The passport interview process involves individuals being asked to confirm facts that someone trying to steal their identity would be unlikely to know.

Anyone over the age of 16 is required to attend a passport interview before applying for a passport for the first time.

A spokeswoman for the Home Office confirmed discussions were being held to introduce a video link system to Wick, similar to what is in place in Inverness.

She said: "Changes are being made to services in remote areas of Scotland to ensure that no adult customer has to travel more than 100 miles or over two hours to attend an interview for their first passport.

"As part of that process, we are considering a proposal to create a video link service in the Wick area, similar to Inverness and other locations in the Highlands."