HC Deb 26 October 1989 vol 158 cc620-1W
Mr. Cohen

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidelines are given on the circumstances in which immigration officials should undertake body searches; and how many such searches were made in the last year.

Mr. Renton

Paragraph 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 HM Customs in any search of a passenger's baggage or person which may be considered necessary. In practice immigration officers do not carry out body searches and no guidelines on this have therefore been issued.