§ Mr. David Priceasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list every different circumstance in which officials of his Department, and of all public bodies ultimately answerable to himself, have search and entry powers 401W into either the homes or the business premises of British citizens, with in each case reference to the appropriate statutory authority for the exercise of such powers.
Enactment Purpose Ordnance Survey Act 1841 s. 2 Entry to land for survey and marking boundaries Ancient Monuments Consolidation and Amendment Act 1913, s. 4(1); Ancient Monuments Act 1931, s. 9; Historic Buildings and Ancient Monuments Act 1953, ss. 12(5), 18. Entry to land for inspection, investigation, excavation, maintenance. National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949, s. 108. Entry to land for survey in connection with acquisition or making of an access order. Mineral Workings Act 1951, s. 36 Inspection of accounts or records in connection with claims on the Ironstone Restoration Fund. Housing Act 1957, s. 159; Housing Act 1969 s. 61(5), Sch. 8; Housing Act 1974, ss. 48, 54. Entry for survey or valuation for compulsory purchase; for survey and examination relating to repair, maintenance and sanitary condition of houses, or to demolition orders, or for measuring rooms, or to notices requiring work to be done, or to general improvement areas, housing action areas, or priority neighbourhoods. Highways Act 1959, s. 255 For survey relating to public path orders. Radioactive Substances Act 1960, s. 12 Entry and inspection with power to take away samples of waste. Road Traffic Act 1960, s. 128 Entry to inspect public service vehicles. Water Resources Act 1963, s. 111 Entry for performing conferred functions relating to land drainage, river pollution etc. New Towns Act 1965, s. 49 Entry for survey or valuation. Building Control Act 1966, s. 9(1) Entry on and inspection of land in connection with control of building and constructional work. Road Traffic Regulation Act 1967, s. 63 Entry to land for placing, removing etc. traffic signs and for removal of unauthorised signs. Transport Act 1968, s. 99(2) Entry to premises in which passenger or goods vehicles are kept for inspection of vehicles records and other documents. Town and Country Planning Act 1971, ss. 280, 281 Entry for survey in connection with a structure plan or local plan; application for planning permission; unauthorised works; failure to carry out required works; applications for listed building consent; tree preservation orders: claims for compensation. Highways Act 1971, s. 64 Entry to survey land, including power to search and bore to ascertain subsoil. Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1972 ss. 103, 265(7). Entry for survey and valuation of land for compulsory acquisition. Road Traffic Act 1972, ss. 43, 48, 56, 61 Entry to premises in connection with testing examining, approving vehicles. Community Land Act 1975, s. 35 Entry to office buildings for examination and survey. Community Land Act 1975, Sch, 4, para. 20 Entry for survey and valuation including searching and boring to ascertain subsoil or presence of minerals. Information relating to the officials of all public bodies for which I have some responsibility is not readily available and could only be assembled over a period of several weeks at a substantial and inordinate cost to public funds.