§ Mr. GibbTo ask the Prime Minister if he will list the(a) occasions on which and (b) reasons for which passes to Government buildings have been issued to persons not employed by or under contract to a Government Department. [50613]
§ The Prime MinisterMost Government Departments operate a system of entry control to their buildings based on an assessment of the risk to their assets, the sole or shared ownership and occupancy of the site, and whether the public have right of entry to it. Practice can vary considerably, therefore, between Government sites, but entry control requiring registration and the use of visitors' passes is commonplace. Such passes are normally issued on a daily basis and must be surrendered on departure from the premises. Holders of these passes may require escorting. Of course details of the thousands of such passes issued daily at all Government buildings throughout the country is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.