Reference: FOICR 14630/10

Mr J Thakrar

Email:

Date: 29 April 2010

Dear Mr Thakrar

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST

Thank you for your e-mail of 5 April, in which you ask for information on passport countersignatories. Your request has been handled as a request for information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

You asked:-

1.In light of the above, does the IPS therefore have a definitive, extensive and conclusive list of those professions/qualifications which enable a person to act as a counter signatory to an application?

2.Is their any law which sets out the suitable qualifying counter signatory credentials? If their is not- how has the IPS been able to determine its list of EXAMPLES? Please provide evidence of how.

3.Please provide the definitive conclusive and exaustative list and any guidance accompanying the list accompany such a list.

4.Please clarify exactly what criteria the IPS uses to determine the suitability of those persons who fall outside of the EXAMPLES given in order to determine what constitutes a person otherwise in ‘good standing’ in the community. Please provide copies of this criteria and any guidance on application.

5.What exact and specific criteria do IPS use to define who would be unsuitable to provide the function of a counter signatory and copies of any guidance.

6.How does IPS ensure that applications are not rejected on the grounds of unsuitable counter signatory if no such list exists?

The Identity and Passport Service (IPS) response is:-

We believe that the information you have requested is already reasonably accessible to you. It can be found on the IPS website at on the link: -

Section 21 of the Freedom of Information Act exempts IPS from providing you with this information, because it is already in the public domain. If you have any difficulties in accessing this information at the source which I have indicated, please contact me again.

I hope that this information meets your requirements. I would like to assure you that we have provided you with all relevant information that IPS holds.

If you are dissatisfied with this response you may request an independent internal review of our handling of your request by submitting a complaint within two months to the address below, quoting reference FOICR 14630/10.

Information Access Team

Home Office
Ground Floor, SeacoleBuilding

2 Marsham Street

London SW1P 4DF

e-mail:

As part of any internal review the Department’s handling of your information request will be reassessed by staff who were not involved in providing you with this response. Should you remain dissatisfied after this internal review, you would have a right of complaint to the Information Commissioner as established by section 50 of the Freedom of Information Act.

Yours sincerely

H Reid

Parliamentary & Correspondence Management Team

Passport Adviceline: 0300 222 0000(07.00 – 23.00 seven days a week).

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