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A)
B)
ANY DECISION ON COMMON FORMAT PASSPORTS WOULD BE ENTIRELY
UNRELATED TO THE NATIONALITY BILL. AGREEMENT ON A COMMON
FORMAT WAS REACHED IN PRINCIPLE BETWEEN EC HEADS OF
GOVERNMENT IN 1974, BUT NO DECISION WAS MADE THEN ON DETAILS.
DISCUSSION OF THIS ISSUE WAS REVIVED DURING THE LUXEMBOURG
PRESIDENCY AT THE BEGINNING OF 1980. IT WAS CARRIED
FURTHER FORWARD DURING THE ITALIAN AND DUTCH PRESIDENCIES.
THE EC AGREEMENT DOES NOT APPLY TO DEPENDENT TERRITORY
PASSPORTS (EXCEPT FOR GIBRALTAR). DEPENDENT TERRITORIES
(EXCEPTING GIBRALTAR) WERE SPECIFICALLY EXCLUDED FROM THE
SCOPE OF UK ACCESSION TO THE EC, AND EC RULES DO NOT AND
NEVER HAVE APPLIED THERE.
C) THERE IS NO REASON WHY HONG KONG AND OTHER DEPENDENT
TERRITORIES SHOULD NOT IN DUE COURSE ADOPT A NEW PASSPORT
LARGELY IDENTICAL TO THE EC COMMON FORMAT. PROVIDED THE
WORDS 'EUROPEAN COMMUNITY' AND CERTAIN FEATURES, SUCH AS
USE OF OTHER COMMUNITY LANGUAGES, WERE OMITTED, THERE SHOULD
BE NO DIFFICULTY OVER THIS.
D) IMPLEMENTATION OF THE EC PROPOSAL IS NOT IMMINENT. THE UK
WISHES TO COMBINE THIS CHAGGE WITH THE INTRODUCTION OF A
STANDARDISED FORMAT FOR PERSONAL DATA WHICH COULD BE MACHINE-
READ. THIS IS UNLIKELY TO BE BEFORE 1985 AND WILL TAKE SEVERAL
YEARS TO IMPLEMENT IN FULL. DEPENDENT TERRITORIES WILL BE KEPT
INFORMED OF PROGRESS.
4. AN INSPIRED PQ IS BEING ANSWERED ON 13 MARCH AS FOLLOWS:
*Q.
TO ASK THE LORD PRIVY SEAL WHETHER HER MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT
INTEND TO ADOPT THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE INTERNATION CIVIL
AVIATION ORGANISATION FOR A PASSPORT WITH MACHINE-READABLE
CAPABILITY, AND WHETHER THE NEW PASSPORT WILL BE IN A COMMON
EUROPEAN COMMUNITY FORMAT.
A. THE GOVERNMENT HAVE TAKEN A DECISION IN PRINCIPLE TO ADOPT
AS SOON AS PRACTICABLE THE ICAO RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE
INTRODUCTION OF A PASSPORT IN A SIMPLIFIED STANDARDISED FORMAT
WHICH WILL HAVE MACHINE-READABLE CAPABILITY. HOWEVER, A
CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF WORK IS NEEDED TO ASSESS THE COSTS AND
TO OVERCOME THE TECHNICAL PROBLEMS INVOLVED, AND UNTIL THIS
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