§ Ms. RichardsonTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many strip searches were made of females at Customs during each month of 1988, giving the number of persons involved; what dutiable items or unlawful imports were discovered in any search; in how many cases persons who were asked to undergo a strip search asked for review of that request by a justice of the peace or senior customs officer; how many of those who sought such review were subsequently strip searched and how many were not; on how many occasions persons declined to be strip searched before such review and after such review; and what was the outcome in each case.
§ Mr. LilleyCustoms set up central records on search of person in July 1987 but these records do not identify separately searches of men and women.
For the period 1 July 1987 to 31 March 1988 (the latest period for which figures are available) the number of persons strip searched was 16,023. Drugs were recovered in 586 instances, dutiable goods in 180 instances and other prohibited or restricted goods in 57 instances. In addition 837W there were 2,019 instances of smuggled goods found before the search and 119 afterwards (for example, concealed internally by smugglers but recovered only after the search).
Appeals against strip search to a justice of the peace or senior customs officer totalled 71, of which 17 were upheld. There are no recorded instances of persons declining to be searched once having exercised their appeal rights.