Brick Wall

First published 22nd February 2014

Good morning Ms Handler of Passport Enquiries, Newport, Gwent.

In reply to your email suggesting that, because of Data Protection issues, you cannot discuss my complaint with me, made about the person at your Victoria Passport Office, who was rude and brusque and appeared to think that I had forged my mother’s signature when I was picking up her passport on her behalf, please note the following points:

My mother's name is Mrs S xxx. Her date of birth is xxx. Her new passport number is xxx, issued on 30/1/2014 with an expiry date of 29.02.2024.

My mother has dementia and is very frail, and is currently in hospital with suspected chest and urinary infections. She is, therefore, unlikely to write the letter you request.

I am her registered Attorney and only carer. It was as such that I filled in her passport form, asking her to sign it. It was as such that I collected her passport at Victoria passport Office on her behalf.

Is it possible that you can now see how ridiculous your data protection statement, cut and pasted and in a different point size from your introductory remarks, looks on your email to me?

My whole point is that there is so little understanding by so many unaccountable civil servants on petty power trips of just how difficult it is to be a carer or someone with dementia.

This latest email of yours neatly reinforces my point, don't you think?

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