§ 36. Mr. Colvinasked the Lord Privy Seal whether it is the policy of Her Majesty's Government to work towards a standardisation of passports for European Economic Community member States.
§ Sir Ian GilmourIn 1974, the European Community Heads of Government decided in principle that the national passports of the Nine—now Ten—should have a common format to demonstrate the links between them as members of the Community. Discussions on the implementation of this decision are continuing in Brussels.
§ Mr. ColvinIs my right hon. Friend saying that if a common format passport scheme were adopted the EEC would be responsible for issuing British passports? If he supports the adoption of such a scheme, does he also support the recommendation by the international civil aviation organisations that such passports should be in laminated form so as to be capable of being read by machines?
§ Sir Ian GilmourThe answer to the first part of my hon. Friend's question is "No". Passports in a common format will be national passports, not Community passports, and their issue will remain a national prerogative. On the second part of the question, we are very interested in machine readability. We are carrying out investigations into the most suitable system, and we shall then take a decision in the light of those investigations.
§ Mr. SkinnerIn view of the introduction of the detested Nationality Bill by the Tory Government, is the Minister happy about the idea that, with a common passport, all those other coloured people, not in the Commonwealth, but emanating from Africa, Algeria and various other areas associated with some of the Common Market countries, will more easily be able to enter this country? Is he quite satisfied with that?
§ Sir Ian GilmourI do not think that I quite follow the drift of the hon. Gentleman's question. In so far as I followed it at all, I do not think that any of his premises were remotely correct.
§ Mr. StokesIs my right hon. Friend aware that the vast majority of British people do not wish to abandon their British passport, which alone is able to defend them, and that the EEC does not have a Foreign Office, nor does it have any armed services, nor even a gunboat?
§ Sir Ian GilmourI think that my hon. Friend has misunderstood what is proposed and what was agreed in 1974. It would still be a British passport, and would retain such well-known characteristic features as the Royal coat of arms on the front and the exhortation inside the front cover.