§ Sir Dudley SmithTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) how many full and intimate searches of women passengers have been undertaken by the customs authorities at Gatwick airport in the last relevant 12 months, and how many proved negative;
(2) how many full and intimate searches of women passengers have been undertaken by the customs authorities at Heathrow airport in the last relevant 12 months, and how many proved negative.
§ Mr. LilleyCustoms set up central records on search of person in July 1987 but these records do not identify separately searches of men and women.
For the period 1 July 1987 to 31 March 1988, the numbers of persons intimately searched were 206 at Gatwick and 166 at Heathrow. Drugs were recovered in 29 instances at Gatwick and 19 at Heathrow. These figures include four cases where drugs were found before the search was undertaken and 30 where drugs were found afterwards (for example, concealed internally by smugglers but recovered only after the search).