§ Dr. Lynne JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of people strip searched in the custody of police(a) were not charged with any offence and (b) were not subsequently convicted of any offence. [8541]
§ Mr. MichaelThe information requested is not collected centrally. Statistics collected centrally record the number of intimate searches carried out in police custody. An intimate search consists of the physical examination of a person's body orifices other than the mouth. Provisional figures for 1996 show that 132 intimate searches were recorded by police forces in England and Wales. The confirmed figure will be published later this year. Statistics held centrally do not show how many of those subject to intimate searches were charged with an offence. Strip searches, which involve the removal of more than outer clothing, are not separately reported centrally.