HC Deb 06 June 1957 vol 571 cc149-50W
Captain Kerby

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs how many British passports have been withdrawn from their holders during the last twelve months in conformity with the legend now inscribed on the inside of some British passports that the passport remains the property of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom and may be withdrawn at any time; what is the position of those British subjects whose passports do not bear this statement; and what refund is made to persons whose passports are withdrawn.

Mr. Ian Harvey

There is no record of any United Kingdom passports, issued in the United Kingdom or by United Kingdom consular officers overseas, having been withdrawn from their holders during the last twelve months in conformity with the legend inscribed in the passport. Some United Kingdom passports have been temporarily withheld from their holders when the latter have been repatriated at public expense and the cost of such repatriation has not been refunded. Since the passport might in these circumstances only be held for a matter of days, no statistics are kept of these cases.

The position in respect of British subjects whose passports may not carry the cautionary note is the same, since the note was added to the passport not as the result of the adoption of any new policy but solely to remove possible doubts about the holder's right to retain his passport.

No question of any refund being made to persons whose passports are withdrawn can arise, since passports are issued to British subjects on request as a facility to help them on their travels abroad.