CONFIDENTIAL
8039
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(B)
*
(C)
OUR EC
THIS.
PARTNERS EXPECT US TO MEET. TO ARRANGE LAUNCH FOR JULY 1987 WHEN WE DO NOT EXPECT TO BE ABLE TO FOLLOW IT UP WITH THE FIRST REGULAR ISSUES UNTIL THE FOLLOWING JULY (AND EVEN THEN THE WORK WILL BE PHASED OVER 2 YEARS) WOULD MAKE IT VERY OBVIOUS THAT WE HAD MISSED 1987 AND THAT THE 500 WERE NO MORE THAN A GESTURE. WE THEREFORE THINK IT PREFERABLE TO WAIT UNTIL LATER IN 1987 AND SO MINIMISE THE DELAY BEFORE OUR FIRST ISSUING
OFFICE FOR THE NEW CFP STARTS UP:
WE HAVE AGREED: A FORMAT FOR THE PASSPORT TO BE ISSUED TO BN(O)S WHICH HAS A STRONG RESEMBLANCE TO THE CFP TO BE ISSUED TO THOSE WHO ARE UK NATIONALS FOR EC PURPOSES. THERE MIGHT BE SOME SENSITIVITY ABOUT THIS IN THE COMMUNITY, WHICH WE HOPE WE CAN OVERCOME, BUT OUR POSITION WOULD NOT BE HELPED IF THE LOOK-ALIKE WAS TO
APPEAR IN NUMBERS BEFORE THE CFP ITSELF: AND
P
WE THINK THAT IT SHOULD BE POSSIBLE TO ALLAY EXCO'S CONCERN ABOUT THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF HONG KONG PASSPORT IN CIRCULATION. THE UK WILL HAVE THREE TYPES OF PASSPORT IN CIRCULATION FOR MANY YEARS THE TRADITIONAL FORMAT, THE CFP AND THE LOOK-ALIKE. OTHER EC STATES WILL HAVE TWO. THE UNITED STATES, CANADA AND AUSTRALIA ARE IN THE PROCESS OF CHANGING TO MACHINE READABLE PASSPORTS WHICH WILL NECESSITATE THEIR HAVING DIFFERENT TYPES IN CIRCULATION TOO. HONG KONG WILL NOT THEREFORE BE ALONE IN HAVING MORE THAN ONE TYPE OF PASSPORT IN CIRCULATION. IN PARA 4 OF TUR YOU REPORT EXCO'S SUGGESTION THAT NEW FORMAT PASSPORTS SHOULD BE ISSUED GRATIS TO REPLACE TRADITIONAL FORMAT PASSPORTS OBTAINED BY BN(0)S. FOR THE REASONS GIVEN IN PARA 2 (C) ABOVE, WE DO NOT CONSIDER THE CONCERNS ABOUT DIFFERENT
WE ALSO WISH TO AVOID PASSPORTS IN CIRCULATION TO BE JUSTIFIED.
3.
THE KNOCK-ON ARGUMENT THAT OLD-STYLE PASSPORTS ISSUED TO OTHER BRITISH NATIONALS WERE IN SOME WAY DEVALUED BY THE NEW FORMAT,
WE REGRET WITH CONSEQUENT DEMANDS FOR SIMILAR TREATMENT. THAT WE CANNOT THEREFORE AGREE TO THIS SUGGESTION.
4.
WE APPRECIATE THAT THESE REPLIES MAY CAUSE SOME
DISAPPOINTMENT BUT HOPE THAT THE POINTS ABOVE EXPLAIN OUR.
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CONFIDENTIAL