§ Mr. McNamaraasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on his policy for strip-searching prisoners at Her Majesty's prison, Armagh.
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Number of salmon passing through trap at Bushmills Year Feb. Mar. Apr. May June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Total 1973* — — — — — — — — — — — 2,351 1974 — — — — — — — — — — — 3,358 1975 6 6 133 56 64 992 100 1,005 583 236 25 3,206 1976 — 1 10 60 353 177 261 583 1,394 111 49 2,999 1977 — 2 29 22 12 268 428 494 694 143 13 2,105 1978 — 9 17 17 2 249 734 463 97 23 — 1,611 1079 — 1 29 47 85 573 648 296 64 11 10 1,764 1980 — — 19 5 151 963 869 468 115 140 27 2,757 1981 — 5 8 116 84 371 331 378 63 58 37 1,451 1982 — — — 12 10 202 554 441 203 57 3 1,482 1983 — — — 8 16 10 — 303 486 88 23 934 1984 — — 1 — 1 35 90 341 128 23 5 624 * Monthly figures not available for 1973 and 1974.
§ Mr. Scott[pursuant to his reply, 19 December 1984, c. 217]: Strip searches are a necessary part of maintaining prison security. The procedures used in Northern Ireland are the same as those which have been used for many years in comparable prisons in Great Britain and elsewhere. The need for and frequency of searches are kept under close review. I am satisfied that the present level is kept to the necessary minimum. This is borne out by the statistics. For example, in the last three months, since 1 September, there have been two strip searches a month of women remand prisoners attending Armagh court house.