§ Mr. Arnoldasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Hazel Grove of 23 November, Official Report, c. 407, if he will describe the present zoning system at terminal 3, Heathrow airport; and how this differs from previous arrangements.
§ Mr. RaisonSince 1979 passengers arriving at terminal 3 have been directed to one of two zones. Those from flights originating in North America and the Caribbean use zone A and flights from elsewhere use zone B. Passengers holding United Kingdom and European Community passports are dealt with separately and arrangements are made for passengers who require special facilities, for example those in wheelchairs.
The previous arrangement separated passengers into those holding United Kingdom, European Community, Commonwealth and other passports.
§ Mr. Arnoldasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the hourly rate of passenger clearance by the immigration service at terminal 3, Heathrow airport, during peak periods.
§ Mr. RaisonThe hourly rate of clearance of passengers by the immigration service inevitably varies, since it depends on the proportion of those who can be dealt with quickly, particularly those holding United Kingdom passports, and those who require more detailed examination under the immigration rules. At terminal 3 the 531W British Airports Authority lays down a maximum of 3,000 arriving passengers per hour and the maximum number of immigration officers is provided at peak periods, subject to the economic deployment of staff.