§ Mr. MaudeTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information the French authorities have provided to him about the proportion of tickets which will be checked against identification at the turnstile during the forthcoming World Cup. [37166]
§ Mr. Michael[holding answer 31 March 1998]: We are assured by the French authorities that supporters attending matches during France '98 will be subject to a range of security checks by police authorities and stewards before entering stadiums to ensure that they hold valid tickets, and to further checking following entry to the ground. This will include stewards conducting checks on the validity of tickets prior to entry to the ground and again before the person takes up his or her seat. All ticket holders will be subject to a search outside the stadium by the police or gendarmerie, providing a further opportunity to check on the validity of tickets.
The French authorities have not stated that any specific proportion of tickets will be checked against identification. That is an operational matter for the French authorities. They have indicated that checks against identity will be carried out in any circumstances which give rise to suspicion. Verification checks will also be carried out on a random basis.
There is strict ticketing legislation in place in France and the authorities have undertaken to apply this rigorously.