HC Deb 17 December 1984 vol 70 c8W
Mr. Dubs

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what reasons British citizens may be refused passports; and how many such refusals took place in each category in 1984 to date, and during each of the previous three years.

Mr. Waddington

United Kingdom nationals may be refused passport facilities only when an application is made in respect of:

  1. (a) A minor whose journey is known to be contrary to a court order, to the wishes of a parent or other person or authority to whom a court has awarded custody, care and control, or to the provisions of section 25(1) of the Children and Young Persons Act 1933, as amended, or section 52 of the Adoption Act 1958, as amended;
  2. (b) A person for whose arrest a warrant has been issued in the United Kingdom, or who is wanted by the United Kingdom police on suspicion of a serious crime;
  3. (c) In very rare cases, a person whose past or proposed activities are so demonstrably undesirable that the grant or continued enjoyment of passport facilities would be contrary to the public interest;
  4. (d) A person repatriated at public expense, until the debt has been repaid.

Records of refusals are maintained only for the category (c). These are extremely rare and there were none in the period specified.