§ Lord TREFGARNEasked Her Majesty's Government:
Why, as reported, they have recently reduced the number of Immigration Officers on duty at Heathrow Airport during busy periods, to the disadvantage of the travelling public.
§ Lord HARRIS of GREENWICHImmigration Officers are assigned to duty at Heathrow according to the passenger capacity of the terminals and the expected traffic. Extra Immigration Officers are employed in the peak months May to October. Only in that sense has there been any recent reduction. If, as happens occasionally, the capacity of a terminal is exceeded by airline scheduling some delay and inconvenience at the immigration control is unfortunately unavoidable.