More government stupidity.

[ian]

Nope, that's far too easy. You can make an on-line request for a form, and they will send you one in the mail.

[Graeme]

In message , ian writes

Because the Passport Office will not pay for more than x number of POs to hold the forms. Same with MVL renewals - DVLA will only pay for a certain number of POs to transact the business. Getting back to passports, I'm forbidden, on pain of death, to grab a few from the nearest main PO, and keep 'em for convenience, just in case the forms become obsolete without my knowledge.

We are only allowed to keep certain forms on the public side of the counter, and even those are strictly controlled - mystery shoppers check the branches. Driving licence forms, for example, must not be put on the public side.

The space for leaflets, posters, bunting etc. is all 'paid for' by different branches of the PO, so if I use space for, say, motor insurance that has been paid for by the guaranteed bond department, I'm in big trouble. Seriously. This is why I often have to display material that I know is not going to interest my customers, whilst storing stuff that will probably generate new business. This is also why you, the Great British Public, have to join a queue just to request a form that should, IMHO, be on your side of the counter.

[ian]

In message , Graeme writes

[Snip]

Thanks for explaining it all so clearly.

I need a rest.

[Graeme]

In message , ian writes

*You* need a rest? I work with these people every day ...

The situation moves from ridiculous to utter farce when you consider that all are merely government departments in one way or another. PO, RM, DVLA, passport office, BBC, DHS etc.

[Owain]

And all these forms are freely available under the Freedom of Information Act ...

Owain

[Andy Hall]

I don't believe this. Actually..... yes I do....

[Andy Hall]

An even easier solution is to use a consular services agency. They will supply the forms, check them, organise the photographs etc. and get the passport processed and returned in a day or two. Done. Next job.

[Douglas de Lacey]

But they've wised up. When our neighbourhood policing "panel" (ie all who turned up, surprise surprise the majority from the village where the event was staged) threw out the presented priorities and devised our own including "antisocial driving" (ie using a car as an offensive weapon against pedestrians and cyclists) this was cunningly combined with "antisocial parking" before being put to the vote, and then written up in the minutes as "Traffic issues to include Speeding, Parking and HGV's[sic]" and restricted to certain specified streets.

Douglas de Lacey

[Tim Ward]

I'm not saying you can expect to get absolutely everything you want first time. Keep at it! And when they come back to report progress in a couple of months, evaluation progress against what *you* wanted them to do.