British holidaymakers could see a major rise in the cost of renewing their passports after concerns were raised about the spiraling costs behind the system.
The independent National Audit Office suggested the current £94.50 cost of a new travel document may have to increase because the Passport Office is losing so much money.
The department, which has been credited with reversing a huge backlog of delays in issuing new passports, has racked up a deficit of almost a billion pounds over the past five years, including £223million last year alone.
The NAO argued that without increasing the one-off payment made every 10 years taxpayers more generally would have to cover the shortfall.
It did not give a figure for the rise but the Telegraph suggested it would have to rise £32 to £126.50 to recoup the lost money.
