§ Mr. BeithTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the circumstances in which the police can carry out a road block. [25047]
§ Mr. MichaelPolice powers to carry out road checks are set out in legislation. The Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 provides that the police may establish a road check to deal with persons unlawfully at large or where there is a serious arrestable offence involving those travelling or considered to be travelling in a vehicle. Section 13A of the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act 1989, as inserted by section 81 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994, also created a new power for the police to stop and search vehicles for the purposes of preventing terrorism.
In addition, section 163 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 (as amended) provides that a person driving a mechanically propelled vehicle on a road must stop the vehicle on being required to do so by a constable in uniform.