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Initially the passport is likely to be in the same format as
is issued to all British nationals. But Hon Members will
be aware that there is to be a change in the format of
British passports as a consequence of the decision to give
a common format to the national passports of European
Community Member States and our decision that the UK passport
should be machine-readable. My Rt Hon and learned Friend
the present Secretary of State for Trade and Industry gave details in a Parliamentary Answer on 24 July 1984. In due
course, therefore, the BN (0) passport will follow the
proposed common European Community format. It will be burgundy red, soft-covered and smaller than the present
blue document. On the cover will be the wording "United Kingdor of Great Britain and Northern Ireland" the Royal Coat of Arms and "Passport"; the wording on the inside cover will refer to "Her Britannic Majesty's Secretary of State".
One issue which has been of particular concern is the right of
abode endorsement to be placed in BN (0) passports. This needs to be agreed with the Chinese Government because the UK Government cannot give such a right in the Special Administrative Region after June 1997. We have therefore
discussed this matter with the Chinese Government in the
Joint Liaison Group. They have agreed in principle that the wording of the endorsement should be as follows:
/"The