Mr Alex Skene

Email :[email address]

Reference: FOICR 9111/08

11 April 2008

Dear Mr. Skene,

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST

Thank you for your e-mail of 14 March in which you ask for information on the guidance and training on photograph standards given to Post Office staff. You have also asked for information on measurements and assessment methodology.

I am pleased to be able to disclose the information that you requested to you.

1. Physical details of the photo template used by Post Office staff
for their "Check & Send" service, which checks whether photographs
meet Identity & Passport Service (IPS) standards.

The template is a printed clear laminate attached to a cardboard backing. The laminate has a graphic representing the correct photo size and additional markings to show the maximum and minimum head sizes required, along with a further graphic showing where the subject's eyes need to be to ensure the image can provide a suitable biometric when scanned. The template only assists the user in these physical requirements.

2. Training material given to Post Office staff on how to use the
template.

The template is very simple to use, with adequate instruction on it's use printed on the cardboard backing, and no IPS training material was provided to the Post Office. They may however, have issued their own material to staff. There are existing arrangements for reporting back to the Post Office errors in applications that should have been corrected as part of the Check and Send process, and this extends to photographs.

3. Regarding photos rejected by the IPS, please supply the full list
of reasons for rejection, and for each provide details on:

(a) whether measurement or assessment is carried out by a person or a
computer software program.

There is no definitive list of reasons for rejection, but the most common are where customers have not observed instructions on pose, hair across eyes, or where there is glare across the eyes of spectacle wearers.

When photos are scanned onto the passport issuing system, the system is looking for various reference points from the face and requires a certain number of pixels between these points to create the biometric image. The key one is the number of pixels between the eyes, hence the need to ensure the head is of a certain size. The system will attempt to create a biometric from the image provided and will reject ones where, for example, the head is too small because it cannot find sufficient pixels to create the biometric. The system will also reject images where it is unable to find the boundaries of the image (eg where the face melds into the background due to either being too light or too dark). As the system will always try to find the face it may create a biometric from poor quality images that are corrupted by glare or shadow and these will be rejected by staff rather than the system. The system is also unable to detect hair across eyes, customers wearing hats, etc, and these need staff intervention to identify and reject. IPS staff always have the final decision regarding the acceptance of a photo, and are assisted in this by computer software.   

(b) whether measurement or assessment methodology is subjective or
objective.

There is clearly defined policy for staff to check against but with some 2000 staff across seven sites involved in this process there will always be a degree of variance in compliance. As such, methodology and the underlying policy is objective as far as possible.

(c) what physical measurements are carried out and what the ranges &
tolerances are for pass/fail.

The only physical measurements carried out are a) to ensure that the photo is the correct size (45mm high x 35mm wide), and b) to ensure that there are a sufficient number of pixels between the centre points of each eye socket. There is no maximum, though there is clearly the need to ensure that all of the face is within the photo frame

However if you are dissatisfied with this response you may request an independent internal review of any aspect of our handling of your application by submitting your complaint to the address below and quote reference FOICR 9111/08:

Information Rights Team
Information and Record Management Service
Home Office
4th Floor, Seacole Building
2 Marsham Street
London
SW1P 4DF

Email: [email address]

During the 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 will have a right of complaint to the Information Commissioner as established by section 50 of the Freedom of Information Act.

In keeping with the spirit and effect of the Freedom of Information Act, all information is assumed to be releasable to the public unless exempt. The department therefore, will be simultaneously releasing to the public the information you requested together with any related information that will provide a key to its wider context.

I hope that you find this information of interest, and would like to assure you that you have been supplied with all relevant information that the Identity and Passport Service holds.

Yours faithfully

On behalf of the Identity and Passport Service

For advice on how and where to obtain a passport,

call the Passport Adviceline on 0870 521 0410

(24 hours a day, 7 days a week).

You can also email [email address]

or visit www.ips.gov.uk

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