§ Mr. Michael Brownasked the Prime Minister if she will review the decision taken by Heads of Government in 1974 to introduce a standard European Community passport to replace the present United Kingdom passport.
§ The Prime MinisterNo. The Heads of Government at the European Council in December 1974 agreed in principle that there should be a common format for the national passports of European Community member States. The passports in the common format will not be European Community passports and their issue will remain a national prerogative.
§ Mr. Teddy Taylorasked the Prime Minister if it is the view of Her Majesty's Government that the agreement at the Foreign Affairs Council of Ministers to introduce a Common Market passport by 1985 represents a binding commitment; or if she intends to provide Parliament with the opportunity of accepting or rejecting the introduction of such European Community passports.
§ The Prime MinisterThe Foreign Affairs Council agreed on 16–17 March 1981 that member States would endeavour to implement by January 1985 the 1974 decision in principle that there should be a common format for the national passports of European Community member States. But it was also understood that those member States which have not completed the revision of their laws or rules concerning nationality or the methods of producing the passport by the above date may issue the passport at a later date.
We have made it clear that we do not intend to introduce British passports in the common format until we are ready to implement the International Civil Aviation Organisation's recommendations for a passport in a simplified standardised format with machine-readable capability. We are studying the technical problems involved and the changes will not be made for a number of years. There will be opportunities before then for Parliament to debate the matter.
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§ Mr. Marlowasked the Prime Minister why it has been agreed to overprint future British passports with the words European Communities; and what consultation has taken place on the proposal.
§ The Prime MinisterHeads of Government at the European Council in December 1974 agreed in principle that there should be a common format for the national passports of European Community member States and this was reported to Parliament by the right hon. Member for Huyton (Sir H. Wilson). Discussions have continued intermittently since then on the detailed implementation of that decision. The inclusion of a reference to the European Communities on the front cover of passports in a common format was agreed by the Foreign Affairs Council in November 1975. Ministers at the Foreign Affairs Council on 16–17 March 1981 agreed that the words "European Community" should be used.
Following the decision at the 1974 European Council, the Commission produced a consultative document which the House of Commons Scrutiny Committee considered in 1975. In February 1979 a House of Lords Select Committee reported on progress on the implementation of the ideas in the Commission's 1975 consultative document. The subject was debated in the House of Lords on 6 November 1979.