HC Deb 21 January 1959 vol 598 cc30-1W
Sir W. Robson Brown

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he will consider abolishing passports altogether, or simplify the arrangements with regard to the issuing of passports and the passport itself.

Mr. R. Allan

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to him by my right hon. Friend the Minister of State on 17th December, 1956.

It is still the position that British subjects travelling abroad need to be able to establish readily their identity and nationality both to facilitate their passage through the various frontier controls and in the event of their requiring the assistance and protection of their own Government. It is the view of Her Majesty's Government that the passport is the most satisfactory document for these purposes.

Every effort has been made to simplify both the passport and the arrangements for its issue, but some safeguards are essential in order to ensure that passports are granted only to people entitled to hold them.

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