HC Deb 18 May 1990 vol 172 c556W
Mr. Higgins

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department why it was decided that British passports should no longer specify residence, height and distinguishing marks.

Mr. Peter Lloyd

These details, which are no longer considered to be essential for identification of the passport holder, were deleted in the interests of efficiency, and to meet the requirements of the international standard for machine-readable passports.