As my and my 5 family member's passports have all been issued at consulates, (four Paris; three The Hague) from dates since 1995 I looked up whether they were OK as I believe they have all been machine read....
Here's the link for further info:
http://www.ukpa.gov.uk/_history/history_10.asp
Passport Office has produced MRPs since 1988. Only SOME Consulates have not been able to produce them.
MRPs have two lines of "code" running along the bottom of the page containg the "data" + Photo. (This includes name/numbers and a bunch of <<<<<<.
Wonder if I can confuse the US immigration by using different passport on subsequent visits??
Certainly will not try and arrive/leave on different passports!
The only friendly US immigration officer, (I do mean friendly - he smiled and chatted while processing all six passports), I have ever met was this summer taking my whole family over at Dulles. He was clearly of Arabic descent with an arabic name tag.
Virtually all my other encounters have been GRUMPY and often RUDE. Oh and don't even think of doing anything the "Waiting Line Supervisor/desk allotment" lady hasn't told you to do!