TNAG-1405-FCO40-1880-Future-of-Hong-Kong-passports-and-visas-1985 — Page 72

minute/letter/teleletter/despatch/note

DSR 11 (Revised)

DRAFT:

FROM:

Secretary of State

DEPARTMENT:

SECURITY CLASSIFICATION

TO:

Top Secret

Secret

Confidential

Home Secretary

TEL. NO:

TYPE: Draft/Final 1+

Reference

Your Reference

Copies to:

:

Restricted

Unclassified

PRIVACY MARKING

CAVEAT.....

.In Confidence

SUBJECT:

COMMON FORMAT PASSPORT

1. In the context of the discussion in the European

Community of the easing of frontier controls, there

has been a renewal of interest in the timescale on which

member states plan to introduce the CFP.

Enclosures-flag(s)..........

2. The CFP is now being issued by six member states.

We believe that the remaining three member states will

introduce their CFPs in 1987. This need cause no concern

provided we can meet our own target date of 1987,

announced in the House of Commons on 24 July 1984. When-

ever the question has been discussed in the Community we

have made clear that this timing resulted from the

original decision to combine the change over to the CFP

with machine readability and computer issue and that

CFP we are expecting to start issuing the MRP/F in 1987.

3. I am concerned to hear that it may not now be

possible to begin the issue of CFPS until 1988; and

15%

that it is your Department's intention not to include

London

which is thought of by the publie as the

Pessport Office, as one of the two Passport Offices at