(1) The following persons are specified for the purposes of section 38 of the 2006 Act (verifying information provided with passport applications etc. ) —
(a) the Registrar General for England and Wales; and
(b) a credit reference agency with which the Secretary of State acting through the Identity and Passport Service has at the relevant time a contract for the supply of services relating to the provision of information concerning the identity of individuals.
(2) In this article —
“credit reference agency” means a person carrying on a business comprising the furnishing of information relevant to the financial standing of individuals, being information collected by the agency for that purpose; and
“the relevant time” means the time when the particular requirement is imposed.