§ 35. Ms. RuddockTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many men and how many women have been strip-searched by immigration officials at Gatwick airport in the last year; and what guidelines are issued by his Department on strip searches.
§ Mr. RentonParagraph 4(3) of schedule 2 to the Immigration Act 1971 provides that an immigration officer may search the baggage and person of passengers seeking entry to ascertain whether they are carrying relevant documents, but no woman or girl may be searched except by a woman. Immigration officers normally seek the co-operation of Her Majesty's Customs in any search of a passenger's baggage or person which may be considered necessary. In practice, immigration officers do not carry out strip searches and no guidelines on this have therefore been issued.