HC Deb 11 March 1957 vol 566 cc131-2W
81. Mr. J. Edwards

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether Her Majesty's Government intend to take part in the work of the Committee of Government Officials set up under Resolution (56) 22 of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe to study the simplification of frontier formalities in Member States, more particularly in view of the fact that this question was included by the Committee of Ministers in the programme of work of the Council of Europe.

Mr. Ormsby-Gore

No. The first two proposals remitted for consideration to this Committee are the use of identity cards instead of passports as travel documents, and the substitution of sample checks for a check on all travellers. Her Majesty's Government could not accept either of these proposals; and the other proposals which the Committee is to consider relate to matters in which Her Majesty's Government have already taken action or which are at present under consideration by other international bodies. It is in these circumstances that Her Majesty's Government have felt that it would not be useful for them to participate in the Committee's work.