HC Deb 03 February 1986 vol 91 c6W
Mr. Peter Bruinvels

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if, pursuant to the reply to the hon. Member for Leicester, East of 30 January, Official Report, column 582–3, he will introduce legislation to provide for a refund, proportionate to the amount of time left to the original expiry date, to be paid to the surviving spouse of a holder of a family passport in the event of it having been rendered invalid by the death of the holder; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Waddington

No. The basis on which the family passport is available is clearly indicated in the notes which accompany the application form. Exceptionally, passport offices do excercise discretion however, in issuing without charge a replacement passport where the family passport has not been used and not more than six months have elapsed between issue and death of the holder.

Mr. Peter Bruinvels

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when, pursuant to the reply to the hon. Member for Leicester, East of 30 January, Official Report, column 582–83, he intends to introduce the new machine readable passport; what he estimates will be the cost of producing a passport of this type; and what he expects will be the relevant scale of fees.

Mr. Waddington

The aim is to introduce the new machine readable passport in 1987; it should cost no more to print and produce than the existing passport, the present cost of which is about £1.40. I cannot anticipate at this stage what the scale of fees will then be.