§ Sir Dudley Smithasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will list those United Kingdom airports where there is not a separate channel for the admission of United Kingdom passport holders;
(2) why some United Kingdom airports have separate channels for United Kingdom arrivals and why others direct United Kingdom passport holders to the European Economic Community channel;
(3) whether it is permissible for United Kingdom passport holders to use the European Economic Community entrance channel at United Kingdom airports when there is a long queue at the United Kingdom only channel.
§ Mr. WaddingtonThe arrangement of the immigration control at United Kingdom airports is determined by the type of passenger traffic arriving at each port, by the accommodation available and by the number of immigration officers available to clear passengers. The object of chanelling is to clear passengers in the shortest possible time, and the arrangements are reviewed in the light of changes in traffic and staffing levels. At some ports these factors have led to providing a single channel for United Kingdom and European Community passport holders and at others to the provision of separate channels. In the latter case, British citizen passengers may choose to use the separate European Community channel if they wish, and immigration officers are instructed to clear such passengers without delay.
578WThe airports at which immigration service officers are stationed and at which there is no permanent separate channel for the holders of United Kingdom passports at the immigration control are:
Aberdeen Glasgow Belfast Leeds/Bradford Birmingham Lydd Bournemouth (Hurn) Newcastle Bristol Norwich Cardiff (Wales) Prestwick East Midlands Southend Edinburgh Stansted