HC Deb 21 March 1973 vol 853 cc418-20
11. Mr. Sydney Chapman

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will arrange for individual passports within a family to be issued collectively at the cost of a joint passport.

Mr. Kershaw

No, Sir. The family passport as at present issued is a facility which is well used and appreciated. To do what my hon. Friend suggests would be tantamount to granting a passport free to all married women and every child under 16.

Mr. Chapman

I appreciate that reply, but does not my hon. Friend agree that this suggestion would effectively remove discrimination against a wife or a widow not being able to use a joint passport unilaterally—an iniquity perpetrated by international convention? Secondly, would not it help to minimise the illegal immigration of alleged wives and children into this country with a British male passport-holder returning to the United Kingdom on a joint passport?

Mr. Kershaw

On the first point, I find a little difficulty in agreeing with my hon. Friend that it is discrimination that married women should not have what is something extra, which no other person in this country has. It is clear that it would be irresponsible of the Government to act unilaterally in this matter. We have made inquiries and have been assured by several countries that they will not accept a passport which is not in the name of the holder. Whether an international conference is possible in the future is a matter that I am willing to discuss but we shall have to see.

Mr. William Hamilton

When this question was last raised the Minister who replied was rather flippant in his answer. Will the Under-Secretary undertake to exercise some initiative on behalf of the Government to call a new international conference to discuss this matter, because there is a feeling among women particularly that there is discrimination against them in this respect?

Mr. Kershaw

I am aware of the feelings which have obviously set off the Questions which have been raised in the House. As for an international conference, I am willing to investigate that matter. I cannot be very optimistic because very few countries are concerned with this matter as they do not issue family passports; so it is difficult to get them to come along. But we shall have a go.

Mr. Deedes

Will my hon. Friend bear in mind that the countries at present resisting the change which we should like to make are not confronted with the same problems as those with which we are, particularly in respect of the second part of the question of my hon. Friend the Member for Birmingham, Handsworth (Mr. Sydney Chapman)?

Mr. Kershaw

I appreciate what my right hon. Friend says in regard to immigration control. This is an important matter, which we are looking into.

Mr. George Cunningham

Would it not be sensible to abolish the joint family passport altogether and reduce the cost of the individual passport to something much more reasonable than the present charge? How much profit does the Foreign Office make out of issuing passports at present?

Mr. Kershaw

There is something in what the hon. Gentleman said in the first part of his supplementary question. But my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer would have a comment about the second part. Our total receipts from the issue of passports are about £8 million. That must go in with all the consular expenses we have, and in view of that we are justified. The House agreed a short time ago to raise the charge to £5.