§ Sir John Biggs-Davisonasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland in what respects the procedure for searching prisoners and visitors to Her Majesty's prisons differs in Northern Ireland from that obtaining in Great Britain.
§ Mr. ScottThe principles and modes of searching are broadly the same in both jurisdictions. The degree to which each type of search is carried out, whether of visitors or prisoners, depends primarily on operational and security considerations; these can differ not only between the two jurisdictions, but also from institution to institution. Generally, a higher level of searching of visitors is conducted in Northern Ireland's institutions, but the treatment of similar groups of prisoners in the two jurisdictions is comparable.