§ Mr. BeithTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 29 January 1998,Official Report, column 343, in what circumstances a police road block can be used in conjunction with other agencies investigating (a) benefit fraud and (b) illegal immigration; on how many occasions these operations have taken place; and if he will make a statement. [29773]
§ Mr. MichaelPolice officers commonly carry out road checks on commercial vehicles to detect those which are being driven in a dangerous condition, are overloaded, unlicensed or committing other road traffic offences. Such checks may be carried out using the power to stop vehicles in section 163 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 (as amended). Where such checks are arranged, forces may invite other agencies to attend in case the police's inquiries reveal potential offences relevant to those agencies' responsibilities. Such multi-agency checks may include representatives from the Benefits Agency and the Immigration Service. No information is held centrally on the number of multi-agency checks which have taken place.