Home Office figures show that (apart from 2001, when 2,419 were detected) the number of fraudulent applications is under 2,000 per year - "three-quarters of which" as your article points out, "are related to first-time adult applications". Given a passport-holding population of well over 40 million British citizens, a simple calculation shows just how disproportionate and costly a "response" to a fraud rate of 0.005% these interviews really are. Lost work time alone will cost the economy billions, on top of the already spiralling costs of the ID scheme - which is the real agenda here. The British public are being grossly deceived and anyone with any concerns about having their "identity" controlled by the State should renew their passport now, and buy themselves a period of grace from this privacy-busting and intrusive regime. Phil Booth, London

I live in Oregon, does that mean that when I have to renew my passport I will have to travel the 3,000 miles to Washington DC? (which is where I sent my last passport renewal) Interviews for new passport holders I can understand, but not for renewals. Andrew Duffield, Eugene, Oregon, USA

Another load of petty bureaucrat’s asking me personal questions, no thanks. I bet they under man it so we have nice long queues, and I get to pay for it - whoopee! Plus a day off work, plus travel, this is going to cost us a fortune. I bet the cost of a passport will easily exceed the flights. Joy. Nicholas Scott, Newark

House prices are stupid and the South East of England is the most populated area on earth. The mistakes of the past ten years will be with all of us that live in the UK for many decades to come and beyond. For me the answer is easy: no more passports for Non-UK nationals, there is no more room - interviews or not. Peter Davies, Farnborough

I thought the point of getting a signature from a "respected" member of the community was to avoid fraudulent applications. I can see the benefit of an interview for new applicants where there is some suspicion but not for all - and I wonder how they will interview young children and babies since they now need their own passport? Perhaps some kind of notary service would be better than yet another whole new team of bureaucrats! For renewals to gather biometric info wouldn't it be far easier and cost-effective to provide an extension of the Post Office service available now? I can see no need for an interview on a renewal application. This smacks to me of yet another poorly thought through draconian solution. Name and address withheld

Face-to-face is the only way to guarantee that the applicant is bone fide. Yes this is another add-on to bureaucracy. But why not make passports equivalent to ID cards? Those who hold a valid passport therefore should not need an ID card! Daniel Murphy, Dorchester

The horse has bolted, escaped to France, been fattened and turned into pate, re-imported and is now for sale in Tesco. Meanwhile, this Government, this incompetent shower, this media flotsam, has decided to set up a committee to look into the possibility of designing some stable doors that perhaps could go into production sometime in 2009. Bob Matthews, Chesham, Buckinghamshire

I agree, finally someone has a bit of common sense. There are so many people here, who don't speak English, don't work or pay taxes or have a passport. Why can't this procedure be put in place immediately? Raven Moody, Sutton

I believe that Dominic (below) has it in a nutshell there. What is to say that the little pencil-pushers would really give a damn anyway - as long as they make it from 9 - 4.30 and get paid? Some people say this is a strong liberal democratic government. I say it is nothing more than a dictatorship with a smiling face at the wheel. Even if the 60+ million people of this country all said no, the Government would just go ahead and do it anyway. James Pope, Manchester

And of course fraudulent passports will still be issued without interview, by the same means they are sold today. What a complete waste of time and money. Never mind the sleaze of this Government. They should be thrown out on the grounds of incompetence. They just aren't up to the job. Name and address withheld

This will just give more people employment in the Civil Service. Will we all eventually be employed by the Government? Sadly, the criminals will just make their own copies so it will only inconvenience the public. Crispin Banner, Croydon

Face-to-face interviews with passport applicants are long overdue but depending on the ability of the interviewers may prove to be less effective than we would wish. Still, worth a try - as is anything that attempts to prevent people from abusing the natural compassion and tolerant nature of our community. Keith Downer, London

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