HC Deb 02 February 1988 vol 126 cc528-9W
Mr. Soley

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many immigration officers were on duty and interviewing entrants to the United Kingdom at terminal 4 Heathrow airport between 9 am and 10 am on Monday 11 January; and what was the estimated average waiting time for entrants prior to interview.

Mr. Renton

Fourteen immigration officers were on duty on the inward immigration control at Heathrow terminal 4 between 0900 and 1000 on 11 January. Some passengers had to wait up to 45 minutes for examination, which is exceptional for the time of year. A major contributory factor was the particularly heavy concentration of flights that morning, a number of which had been delayed by adverse weather conditions.