§ Mr. GerrardTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list for each airport to which an airline liaison officer has been posted, the number of people who have been prevented from boarding planes as a result of action taken by the officers. [73888]
§ Mr. Mike O'BrienAirline liaison officers are posted overseas to offer advice and assistance to airlines on inadequately documented passengers. Any decision to refuse carriage to a passenger is solely a matter for the airline concerned. In 1998, airlines operating from the five locations where airline liaison officers were based refused carriage to 2,095 prospective passengers who were not adequately documented for travel to the United Kingdom. The figures for each location are: Accra 592; Colombo 191; Delhi 922; Dhaka 220; and Nairobi 170.