§ Mr. MellorI beg to move amendment No. 24, in page 4, line 3, leave out 'or (b)'.
§ Mr. MellorAmendment No. 24 is a purely drafting amendment which deletes some superfluous words.
The other amendments exempt officers conducting searches under section 27(2) of the Aviation Security Act 1982 from the requirement to make a search record. Officers conducting searches under the powers conferred by clause 6 of the Bill are already so exempt.
The reason for this is that clause 6 relates to the practice of port police forces stopping all vehicles leaving goods areas to check their contents against their passes. In the interests of controlling crime these checks are carried out on a routine basis, and consequently a great many are made each day. We therefore consider that it would be unduly burdensome to require a record to be made of each one.
The same considerations apply to the similar powers in the Aviation Security Act, on which clause 6 was modelled, which enable police officers to check vehicles as they leave airport cargo areas. The purpose of the amendment, which I hope will be acceptable to the House, is to bring section 27(2) and powers exercised under that in line with the powers already given in clause 6.
§ Amendment agreed to.
§ Amendments made: No. 25, in page 4, line 3, after `search', insert '(a)'.
§
No. 26, in page 4, line 3, after 'below', insert
`or `(b) under section 27(2) of the Aviation Security Act 1982. '.—[Mr. Mellor.]
§ Mr. MellorI beg to move amendment No. 27, in page 4, line 6, leave out 'possible' and insert 'reasonably practicable'.
The amendment discharges an undertaking given by my hon. and learned Friend in Committee to strengthen the clause by removing the word "possible" and substituting the words "reasonably practicable", which is a more onerous requirement. I hope that on that basis it will be acceptable.
§ Amendment agreed to.
§ Mr. MellorI beg to move amendment No. 28, in page 4, line 17, leave out 'and'.
§ Mr. MellorThese amendments give effect to a further undertaking given by my hon. and learned Friend in Committee to provide that the record of a search must also state—as well as the requirement originally in the Bill —the date, time and place where it was made and its results. Again, this is a tightening of procedures that I hope will be acceptable to the House.
§ Mr. Eldon GriffithsWill my hon. Friend at some stage, perhaps towards the end of the Bill, make an estimate of the increase in the paperwork that the police will have to undertake?
§ Mr. MellorIf my hon. Friend asks me to do that, I shall oblige him.
§ Amendment agreed to.
§ Amendment made: No. 29, in page 4, line 18, leave out 'and' and insert—
- '(iii) the date and time when it was made;
- (iv) the place where it was made; and
- (v) its result; and'.—[Mr. Mellor.]
§ Mr. MellorI beg to move amendment No. 30, in page 4, line 29, leave out '3' and insert '12'.
This amendment gives effect to an undertaking given by my hon. and learned Friend in Committee. It was argued convincingly in Committee that three months was too short a period since a case might not be brought to trial within three months. On that basis, 12 months is now accepted. I hope that that is acceptable to the House.
§ Mr. SnapeAgain I thank the Minister for considering our representations as kindly as he has done. Notwithstanding the somewhat sour note injected by the hon. Member for Bury St. Edmunds (Mr. Griffiths), while the increase in time taken to complete forms is to be regretted—as are all increases in bureaucracy—it does make sense. I hope that I do not transgress the rules of order by retrospectively thanking the Minister for his consideration of the groups of amendments already discussed.
§ Mr. Eldon GriffithsThe filing system that the police will require will be very much greater than before. I can only conclude that, in the new premises in which the tape recordings will take place, shelves will be provided on which all the paperwork can be kept.
§ Amendment agreed to.