Lost, Stolen and Recovered Passports

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1 Lost, Stolen and Recovered Passports Purpose Overview The process Examining applications Applications for lost and stolen Passports Children's lost or stolen passports Examining the LS record Resolving issues Three or more lost or stolen valid passports Withdrawing Replacement Applications Lost in the post Passports cancelled on the system Annex A - LSR questions and answers Examiner policy Purpose On 8 December 2003, the lost, stolen and recovered passport database was introduced. The aim of the database was to help Identity & Passport Service (IPS) achieve its published objectives to improve the prevention of identity fraud and the detection of related crime, safeguard document integrity and at the same time capture, store and make available information relating to lost stolen and received passports. Overview From 8 December 2003, the public have been encouraged to report incidences of passport loss as soon as possible after the event without waiting until they are ready to apply for a replacement passport. Notification forms received without a replacement passport application are called orphans.

2 The loss or theft of a passport is reported by the completion of a form Lost, Stolen 01 (LS01) (LS0W1 in Wales). These can be obtained via a number of sources: IPS Call Centre IPS web site Partnership outlets The Police United Kingdom Borders Agency (UKBA) (Trusted Source) The Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO). (Trusted Source) The receipt and recording of the Lost, Stolen (LS) form is fundamental to the process. Where a passport has been declared lost or stolen in the United Kingdom (UK), IPS will normally receive an LS01 form by post, fax, or with a personal application at an IPS public counter. Electronic notification via the IPS web site is not acceptable until the printed hard copy is signed and returned IPS. Once an LS notification has been accepted and passed the record will be sent to the LSR Database located alongside the passport database on the system. The main index will be updated to show the passport as cancelled. The process High Street partners will continue to accept passport applications for replacement passports and forward them to IPS regional offices. They will request an LS01 form in every case where they accept an application to replace a passport that has been lost or stolen, unless the missing passport is a British Visitor's Passport. (Our partners are not in a position to distinguish between old blue passports and computerised passports). Applications may also be submitted by post directly from the applicant. The only difference is that applications to replace passports that are lost or stolen or declared destroyed should be accompanied by a fully completed LS01 form, unless an orphan LS01 had already been submitted. The applications are received by Steria where, following current practice, the envelope is opened and the fee cashiered onto the system. Replacement application forms are streamed into a separate box and will not be included in boxes of work containing other types of application unless they are part of a block, in which case the linked applications will also be placed in the replacement box. The LS01 forms will be streamed and scanned separately. Steria will create the LS record by keying and verifying relevant information into the LSR database and the LS record will be electronically linked (associated) to the application. The paper version of the form will not normally be available to IPS examining staff, but will be passed to IPS file holding for storage, where they will be destroyed after a minimum of one calendar month.

3 Under current Authority Instructions, Steria will not write out for documents, or for a completed LS01, if none has been received. The replacement applications will be forwarded to IPS where they will be kept in file holding in date order. Examining applications Applications for non-replacement passports will automatically be checked against the LSR database for an LS record. If an applicant has not declared a previous passport, but the system shows a previous uncancelled valid passport in existence, the examiner must requisition the file or scrutinise the image relating to the undeclared valid passport. The details must be compared with the current application to ensure that a correct link has been made before the applicant is asked to submit the passport or complete an LS01 form. Applications for lost and stolen passports Application forms received to replace a passport that has been lost or stolen must be fully filled in, and countersigned by an acceptable countersignatory that has known the applicant for a minimum period of two years. The photograph must also be certified as a true likeness of the applicant. Additional supporting documents, such as birth and marriage certificates, are not normally required unless the passport holder s personal details have changed since the original passport was issued, or unless the missing passport was an old blue passport and we no longer have the full record for comparison. This is because nationality will have been established when the original passport was issued. Any application submitted to replace a missing passport should be accompanied by an LS01 form (which will be scanned and keyed onto the system by Steria to create the associated LS record) unless the passport holder has already completed one, with the following exceptions: The passport is a British Visitor's Passport The passport is an old-style blue passport Where the missing passport is a British Visitor's Passport or an old-style blue passport where a search of our records reveals no trace, change the service level to new and treat as a first time application. Any associated LS record linked to the application must be disassociated and an LS note made explaining why it has been disassociated. The application must also be case noted to explain the action taken. These applications will be passed to the interview process at Exam Complete. An application to replace a lost, stolen or destroyed old blue passport may still be accepted as a replacement provided a search of our records locates the missing passport details. However, as an old blue passport will not be shown on our system, any LS notification will produce an LS warning. The LS notification linked to the application must be disassociated and an LS note made explaining why it has

4 been disassociated. All other applications must have an LS record associated to the application form and the missing passport. The system will carry out a number of automated LSR checks and will raise warnings and LS matches as part of the examination process. These will need to be resolved before an application can be passed for issue. This can be done by using the LSR search screen, reference to previous issue files, or by referral to FIU if thought to be fraudulent. Any referral to FIU will need to be case noted to explain the reasons and sent via a team leader, and any other actions taken must also be case noted. The issue file relating to any valid lost or stolen passport must be requisitioned and the details compared with the new application. When a check against the system shows that the applicant appears to hold multiple valid passports, the examiner will need to investigate each passport record. It may be clear from the Passport Notes tab that one passport has been issued to replace another, but the status has not been updated. (The passport may have been replaced because it had been reported lost or stolen before 2003 and missed during the data cleanse exercise, or merely renewed). If the Passport Notes are unsatisfactory, and do not clearly explain why there are multiple valid passports, it will be necessary to obtain the previous issue files to ensure the passports have been issued to the same person, and to establish whether the passport has been renewed or declared lost or stolen. Where it is evident after investigation by the examiner that a previous passport was produced for renewal and was not lost or stolen, the status can be changed to Replaced by the examiner and a note made under the Passport Notes tab for that record. Those issue files obtained for previous passports showing valid on the system because they have not been updated to lost or stolen prior to December 2003 must be forwarded to the LSR team with a minute sheet or short jacket listing the passport numbers, their status shown on the system and what it should read. The LSR team will then create a dummy LS record to account for the loss or theft. This will enable IPS to update the system and maintain the accuracy of our database. This greatly assists both the work of IPS and other Government Departments such as the United Kingdom Borders Agency (UKBA). Examiners must not update any lost or stolen passport records on the system manually to replaced. The records must only be updated to lost or stolen by LSR teams who will LS note the record to show the passport was declared lost prior to the introduction of LSR. The applicant must be advised in writing that all previous passports have been cancelled against our database and must not be used if they are subsequently found, but must be returned to the IPS. The files need not be sent to LSR until after all other issues have been resolved, the electronic LS form examined and passed and the application is clear for issue. This includes resolving any

5 issues regarding numerous passport losses (see also Three or more lost passports below). Once the application has been checked on the examination screen and any application warnings and other concerns resolved, the electronic LS record associated to the application must be carefully checked. Once the LS record has been checked and all warnings resolved, the examiner is satisfied that the application is in order and the passport and LS record relates to the applicant, the application will be clear for issue. Before issuing, a letter must be sent to the applicant. The letter must be sent in every case where a passport has been issued to replace one that has been declared lost or stolen and must be sent under separate cover to reinforce the message the passport has been cancelled and is no longer valid for use. If recovered, IPS should be informed immediately and the passport returned. Children's lost or stolen passports Our normal one passport per person policy applies to children, and examiners will need to take care a passport is not being declared lost or stolen in order to circumvent our published policy. If the application and/or LS record shows that the passport is held or stolen by the other parent, the passport is not lost or stolen, as either parent can apply and hold a passport for their child provided they have parental responsibility. It will be for the applicant to retrieve the passport from the other party. If necessary the applicant will need to be told to seek legal advice with a view to retrieving the passport through the issue and enforcement of a Specific Issue Order made under the Children Act An application to replace a lost or stolen child s passport must be checked in the exactly the same way as an adult's. In addition, the signature of the parent applying for the original passport must be compared with that on the replacement application form. If the record is on, the image will need to be viewed to do this. Where the signature on the application form and the LS Record is not that of the parent who applied for the original passport, the written confirmation of the loss of theft must be obtained from the parent who originally applied for passport facilities (unless that parent is deceased in which case evidence of death must be submitted). The standard 159 text advising the applicant that the passport has been cancelled and is not valid for travel must be sent. Where the original passport was applied for by a parent, not the current applicant, a copy of the letter should also be sent to them. If the whereabouts of the person who applied for the original passport is unknown, there is little point in attempting to obtain a court order as it will be unable to be served. In these circumstances we need evidence that every avenue has been explored to enable contact with the missing person - for example, evidence of contact with the Child Support Agency (CSA) - contact

6 with the missing person s family who can provide written confirmation that their relative s whereabouts are unknown, all detailed in a statutory declaration confirming the actions taken. Before making a request for a statutory declaration, the applicant must be warned that a statutory declaration is a legal document and that knowingly making a false declaration is a criminal offence. Once all the evidence has been received, details must be case noted and the application referred to a team leader with a proposal to accept. Where the child s passport has expired and has not subsequently been replaced, it will be irrelevant which parent applies for the replacement passport as there is no danger of breaching our one passport per person policy. If the child was previously included on a parent s passport, their application should not be classed as a replacement passport, but as a first time application, and the one passport per person policy applies. Please also see Children. Examining the LS record The LS01 form will not be attached to the application when a replacement application is received by the examiner; it will need to be examined electronically. The electronic record can be accessed via the examination screen by a button marked Examine LS Details. It can also be accessed via the LS search button on the system. An LS01 form may be accepted undated provided the rest of the form has been properly completed and there are no concerns over the contents. This will help reduce the delay in reporting the loss or theft and entry onto our LSR data base, ensuring we forward the details to Law Enforcement Agencies with minimal delay. Once an LS01 has been entered onto the system an LS note must be created to state that the LS form has been accepted undated and to capture any relevant details such as post mark dates on envelopes or date of receipt that would provide some indicate of when sent (if these are available). Before examining the associated record, the LSR data base must be checked to ensure there is not already an existing LS record for the passport. Care must be taken if more than one LS record exists, or if a warning confirms either the passport is already cancelled, or that there is already an LS record. There may be a number of reasons for duplicate records the applicant may have already advised us their passport had been lost by completing an orphan form, or Steria may have scanned on the LS form more than once in error, or there may be a pending web report because the applicant initially reported the passport lost via our web site which was not then associated to the application. Where the LS01 is pre-populated in typed script and a reference number is inserted in the source authority section, this may be a web report that the applicant has subsequently sent in with a new application. Steria will have

7 scanned the LS01 accompanying the application and so created a duplicate on the system. It is therefore important to search for the original pending web report using a bio details search. It can quickly be ascertained if any pending LS records are web submissions awaiting the return of the LS01 by viewing the Declaration tab and the source authority. The original LS form will then need to be retrieved and returned to Steria, with a front sheet from the pending web LS report detail, for Scan, Key and DV against the original pending web LS record. The unwanted duplicate should then be LS noted with relevant detail and disassociated to allow the LSR team to fail the duplicate record. The original will have been progressed to the next stage, after Scan, Key and DV allowing the examiner to work on it. (See Resolving issues below.) These issues must be resolved because it is very important to preserve the integrity of the data we supply to other Government Departments, and duplicate records can cause confusion. The electronic record must be compared with the details on the scanned form and missing information resolved. The examiner must ensure that the correct passport record is associated to the LS record. The associated passport record must be thoroughly checked as it will automatically be cancelled when the LS record is passed and the application is passed for issue. Section 1 of the LS form must be completed in all cases. It provides details of the passport holder and of the missing passport. If the passport is not known the details can be entered onto the electronic record. Once checked against the system and the previous file. Section 2 of the LS form must be completed where the passport holder s current name differs to that of the passport declared lost or stolen. Care will need to be taken that the correct passport is associated to the application. Section 3 should be completed as fully as possible. If the passport was stolen, the passport holder will be aware of the date of theft and must enter this at the date of loss/theft field. All stolen passports must also be reported to the police. Where the passport has been lost and the passport holder has no idea when this occurred, the date of loss will be accepted as the date the loss was established (i.e. when the passport could not be found). As much as possible of the rest of the section must be completed by the informant. Section 4 must be completed if yes has been crossed to indicate the theft has been reported to the police. It must be stressed all stolen passports must be reported, and the police station and police report number given, making this section mandatory for stolen passports. Applicants should be discouraged from changing their minds and declaring the passport lost rather than taking the trouble to report the theft of the passport. This can be done by explaining that the applicant must be careful not to make a false declaration when completing the LS01, and that the police report is an additional safeguard in the event of the passport being misused following the theft. Reporting the

8 passport will also help with any future investigation or enquiry relating to the passport. We are aware that some police forces will not take reports of lost passports, so where a passport is reported lost we cannot insist that it is reported to them. Provided it is clear on the electronic record the passport is lost, this section can be left blank. Section 5 must be completed by a person with parental responsibility if the passport holder is under 16. Section 6 is required when the form is an orphan. If the LS01 has been submitted with a replacement application, it is not necessary for this to be completed. Section 7 must be completed by the person reporting the loss or theft. This is normally the person applying to replace the passport, and will be the passport holder unless the applicant is under 16. We will also require a letter confirming the passport is lost from the person who applied for the original passport if this is different. the applicant is unable to sign. There is nothing in the LSR policy that changes our requirements when dealing with those who are unable to sign and the existing policy should be followed. When examining an LS record, the content of each tab sheet must be checked and verified against the LS image. If the LS record contains minor data capture errors, the details should be amended. If the LS record contains major data capture errors (for example the second half of the electronic record has been transposed with someone else s details), the LS form will need to be retrieved and returned for replacing. Once the details have been checked, any warnings related to the LS record must be resolved and the LS Details OK, LS Image OK, and LS Passport OK fields updated to yes before the LS record can be passed. Resolving issues More than one LS record Where there is already an LS record that has been passed, check that the record relates to the same passport and that the application and the LS record are from the same person. The existing record must be associated to the application (if not already associated) and the new duplicate record(s) LS noted and disassociated for the LSR team to fail. Where there is more than one LS record that has not been passed, again check that the records relate to the same passport and applicant. One record must remain associated to the application and the duplicate LS record noted

9 to indicate that there is already an LS record associated to the application. After noting the duplicate record should be disassociated for the LSR team to fail. If there is any doubt as to the authenticity of the reporter and/or it appears the records are made by different people purporting to be the genuine passport holder, the application will need to be referred to FIU. LS01 not submitted or of poor quality If an application to replace a lost or stolen passport was received without an LS01, the examiner will need to ask the applicant to fill in an LS01. If an LS01 form is not submitted with an application to replace a passport that has been declared lost or stolen via our partners, this should be counted as an error (code W3) except when the missing passport is an old blue. If an LS01 form is of poor quality, or contains insufficient detail and it has not been possible to create a full LS record, the examiner must write to the applicant enclosing an LS01 form for completion. Where the examiner is unable to set the warning to yes because the LS record content or LS01 form image is not acceptable and more information is required, again the examiner must write to the applicant enclosing an LS01 form for completion. On receipt of a satisfactory LS01 form it must be sent with the appropriate return sheet to Steria for scanning. The application must be wanded to the LSR virtual box and be made a bring-up (two days). After two days the LS record should have been completed and the examiner will be able to proceed even if the return sheet has not come back. Passport found before Replacement application is processed If an applicant contacts the IPS because they have found their passport and they wish to withdraw their application - see withdrawing replacement applications. If an applicant contacts the IPS having found their expired or almost expired passport and they wish to continue with their passport application, the applicant must be told to return the passport to the IPS. Where the expired (or almost expired) passport has already been reported lost or stolen and there is an LS record existing, the passport must be forwarded to the LSR Team so that they can record it as recovered. Passports returned in these circumstances will usually be destroyed by the LSR Team. Where the expired (or almost expired) passport has not previously been reported lost, and the passport was mislaid at home, the LS record created with the replacement application may be noted to indicate the passport has

10 now been sent in and the LS record disassociated. The application may then proceed and the passport cancelled and returned in accordance with a renewal application. If the passport has been in the hands of a third party, the passport will need to be forwarded to the LSR Team so that they can record it as recovered and destroy it. Three or more lost or stolen passports Where the applicant has lost, or had stolen, three or more valid passports, the examiner must requisition all files relating to all unexpired passports. The application and files must be referred to the regional FIU team via the examiner s team leader. Withdrawing Replacement applications Where an applicant contacts the IPS to advise us that they have now found their missing passport and they want to withdraw their application it will not always be possible to comply with the applicant s request. Please see Withdrawal of Applications for information on how to correctly withdraw applications. An LS record must be passed if: The passport has been in the hands of a third party and returned to the passport holder The passport holder has already notified other Government departments such as FCO, UKBA or Police The passport was lost overseas. Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee that a passport has not been misused during the time the passport was out of the passport holder s possession, and our advice in these circumstances must be that the passport holder should not attempt to use the passport if it has been returned to them. Our aim is to remove as many of these passports as possible from circulation, and any such passport must be returned to the IPS for cancellation. An LS record can be failed and any application to replace a passport withdrawn only if the passport was declared mislaid at home and the passport holder confirms in writing that they have now found the passport at home and they no longer wish to continue with the application. The applicant must also be asked to confirm that the passport has not been reported missing to any other organisation or via the IPS web site. The applicant must be advised not to attempt to use the passport until they have received written confirmation from the LSR Team that the notification has been failed. On receipt of the applicant s letter, the examiner must first perform a search to ensure that there is not already another LS record for the passport in question. (This is because a subsequent LS01 may have been received from another source such as the FCO.) The LS record must be case noted to explain the reason for the withdrawal of the case, the warnings set to No,

11 and LS record can then be disassociated and the application withdrawn following standard procedures. The letter should be scanned against the LS record. Text 419 must be sent advising the applicant that the passport application and LS01 has been withdrawn but the passport should not be used until confirmation is received that the LS notification has not been processed. NB: If the passport was reported lost overseas and then subsequently found, it will still be necessary to apply for a replacement passport. This is because the FCO send an electronic notification of loss that will automatically cancel the passport without involvement of an LSR officer if set criteria are met. Where there is no evidence of receipt of an LS01, and no record has been created but the customer is able to confirm that one was sent to IPS, the examiner should ask the LSR team to create a dummy pending record and LS note it to show that when received, the LS01 record should be failed as the passport has been located. Where an LS01 has already been received as an orphan form and already passed the passport will cancelled on the system. The original passport must not be used and the holder will need to apply for a new passport to travel. Lost in the post The DX Secure team will deal with the preliminary stages and investigation of all passports and documents declared not received or lost on delivery. These include cases where the passport has been sent to an incorrect address. Any enquiry from a customer advising us that they have not received their passport, whether by telephone, letter, fax or must be referred to the DX Secure team. Once the DX Secure Team has thoroughly investigated any claim that the passport has gone astray, the relevant LSR team will re-issue the passport as a matter of priority and within one working day of receipt of the request from the DX Secure team. The relevant LSR team will re-issue any application where the passport is not returned. Please also see Compensation and Complaints Handling information on Lost in the Post. Passports cancelled on the system Please also see Passport Cancelled on System: Holder not aware. Once formal notification of passport loss or theft is received by IPS (either by the completion of an LS01 form or by electronic notification from a trusted source), the passport record relating to that passport will be marked as

12 cancelled. When an LS01 form is received with an application for a replacement passport, it will not be cancelled until the replacement passport is issued and the LS record passed. A lost or stolen passport must not be manually cancelled by using Update Status. Any orphans or applications that have been passed for issue with issues will be processed by the LSR team and the passport record cancelled when the record is accepted. Once a passport record with a passed LS record has been marked as cancelled, it must not be reinstated to issued. This is because we are sharing information relating to lost and stolen passports with other Government departments. Once the information has been circulated we are not able to update it quickly. This may cause problems for passport holders should they try to use a passport that has been previously cancelled. A number of valid passports currently in circulation are appearing on the system as cancelled. These are coming to light under the following circumstances: a) We require a countersignatory to provide us with his/her current passport details which are checked against the system and LSR data base. b) We have started to share data with the Immigration Service. c) Parents' details are automatically checked against the system. In all these cases the passport is cancelled on the system because an examiner has cancelled the record. This could be intentionally or due to a keying error. Where it comes to the IPS attention that a passport record has been cancelled in error due to a keying error, or similar, the passport status must not be altered to show issued. The reasons we must not re-instate are as follows: We do not know that the person currently using the passport is the rightful holder unless another passport application is submitted and ID checks have been carried out. We share the LSR database with other official bodies. Where the database is not updated and circulated quickly the original record may further inconvenience the passport holder. The examiner / customer service team member will need to investigate the circumstances and try to ascertain from the system, the LSR database, and/or the passport holder how the passport came to be cancelled. If there has been a subsequent issue, its whereabouts must be investigated. It is unlikely in such circumstances that the original passport was cancelled in error.

13 If the record does not show revoked, there has been no subsequent passport issued and the examiner is satisfied after investigation that the passport has been cancelled in error, the person dealing with the situation should apologise for the error, recover the passport and arrange to replace the passport, obtaining the appropriate application form and photographs plus written confirmation the passport has never been reported lost or stolen. The passport must be issued gratis and valid until the expiry date of the original. The system record relating to the original passport must be noted against the Passport Notes with a cross reference. The replacement application will also need to be fully case noted to explain the situation. There may be occasions when a passport is cancelled in error and the examiner is immediately aware of their mistake. There is very limited opportunity to rectify these mistakes because the IPS supply a daily feed of LSR data to other Government departments. There are no set times for this procedure so the IPS need to safeguard against reinstating a cancelled passport record which has already been included in the daily feed of LSR data. Because of this, it is very important that examiners carefully check they are cancelling the correct passport number. The latest upgrade has removed the ability to reinstate a passport by Operational staff. It will not be possible to reinstate a passport that has an LS record wrongly associated to it. Any request for reinstatement must be made within 3 hours of the cancellation, and by the Production HEO who can monitor such requests. The examiner responsible for the error must first complete a Passport Note on the main index to indicate that the passport has been cancelled in error and that the passport has not had an LS record associated to it. The HEO must also add a Passport Note confirming that a request for reinstatement has been made. No requests will be considered without this. (It may not always be possible to reinstate the passport, and the passport holder must not be led to believe that the passport can be reinstated) The HEO must asking for the passport to be reinstated. The must be flagged Important and provide details of the passport number and the holder s details with the time the cancellation was made. The must also confirm that the passport has not had an LS record associated and passed against it in error. The staff member receiving the will check whether it is possible to reinstate the passport. If it is they will confirm by and add a passport note against the record once actioned.

14 If the passport cannot be reinstated because the daily feed has already taken place, the staff member receiving the will reply to the HEO to advise them. In these circumstances the examiner will need to contact the passport holder, apologising for the error and request the return of the passport with a fully completed application form and photographs so that a gratis replacement valid until the expiry date of the original can be issued. Any request for reasonable out of pocket expenses will need to be considered as outlined in our Compensation Policy. Note: There is nothing within the LSR policy that affects any other policy, unless specified, it should be read in conjunction with the rest of the IPS policy documents. Annex A - LSR questions and answers Q. Can an application for a replacement passport be withdrawn when the passport holder contacts the IPS to say they have now found their passport? A. The examiner must check that there is no existing LS record already passed on the LS data base. The passport holder must also confirm that they have not reported the passport as lost overseas, and that the passport has not been in the hands of a third party. Provided this is confirmed in writing, any LS record associated to the application can be disassociated and the application withdrawn. Before disassociating, the LS record must be noted and the applicant told that they will receive a letter confirming their notification has been withdrawn and their fee retained for administering their passport application. Until the letter is received however, the applicant should not use the passport. If the letter is not received, the applicant will need to contact the IPS to check the record has been correctly failed. Q. Is the date of loss a mandatory field? A. The date of loss is not a mandatory field. Where the applicant has lost the passport, they may not be aware of when exactly the passport went missing and in these circumstances we will have to accept the date of loss, from the date the notification was completed. Where the passport has been stolen, the applicant will be aware of the theft and will be able to provide the date. Where the passport has been stolen, these details must be entered. Stolen passports must also have been reported to the police. Q. Where the loss of the passport has been reported to the police, and yes is crossed, should I obtain a crime reference number? A. This will depend upon whether a crime has been committed. If the passport has been lost, this is not a crime, and the police will not issue a

15 crime reference number. They may issue a reference number following the report of a lost item and if available this should be produced. If the passport has been stolen, this is a crime, and a crime reference number must be obtained. Q. If the passport holder is unable to write, who should complete the LS Notification? A. When the LS Notification is received with an application for a replacement passport, the individual who signs the declaration should also complete the LS Notification. Our policy on who is to sign where the applicant is unable to write applies. When the LS Notification is received separately, as in most cases there will be confirmation of the circumstances on the original file, or the passport will have an observation. Our policy on who is to sign where the applicant is unable to write applies, a letter of explanation from the individual completing the LS form must accompany the LS Form. Q. When the application is for a child and I am unable to obtain the confirmation of loss from the original applicant, what must I do? A. If the parent who originally applied holds the passport and refuses to confirm its loss, the applicant of the replacement passport must be told that we cannot become involved in a parental dispute. It is for the parents to resolve this issue and if necessary seek legal advice. If necessary the parent may apply for a Specific Issue Order to compel the other parent to either surrender the passport or confirm its loss. If the parent who originally applied is missing, or is overseas, a court order cannot be served. In these circumstances the applicant should show that they have done everything in their power to locate the missing parent, and detail this in a statutory declaration. A statutory declaration is a legally binding document and a false declaration is a serious offence that can result in a heavy fine, or imprisonment (or both). Q. If the application is for a child who is in the care of Social Services, and Social Service cannot obtain the passport from the parent, what can I advise? A. This is a matter between the Social Services and the parent. The Social Services will have to consult their legal advisors about compelling the parent to surrender the passport or provide confirmation that the passport has been lost.