HC Deb 15 June 1984 vol 61 c602W
Mr. Nicholas Baker

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will reconsider the rules about use of a joint passport by wives.

Mr. Waddington

The term joint passport is a misnomer for the family passport, which may be issued to either a husband or a wife to enable the family to travel together on one passport, thus saving the expense of obtaining separate passports. Only the person in whose name the passport is issued may use it when travelling alone and we have no plans to change this. To allow the spouse of the holder to use it independently would be contrary to international passport usage.