§ Mr. HansonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the use of scanners to detect offensive weapons in places of public entertainment.
§ Mr. MacleanA number of products are available commercially which are capable of detecting concealed metal objects, including offensive weapons. These are evaluated regularly by the Home Office police scientific development branch. Its evaluations are made available to the police and persons wishing to acquire such equipment may obtain appropriate advice from their local crime prevention officer.
It is open to he owners of private premises used for public entertainment to make it a condition of entry that persons wishing to enter their premises submit themselves to a search. Such searches may be conducted by means of hand-held scanners.