§ Mr. SalmondTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what arrangements exist for(a) Customs and Excise and (b) immigration officials to be present at a port which does not have a permanent presence of such officials when a request is made for foreign tourists to disembark at that port; and if he will make a statement on what restrictions geography imposes on such officials being present. [18924]
§ Mr. Boateng[holding answer 29 November 2001]: HM Customs and Excise conducts risk assessments of all traffic and locations in the United Kingdom. Resources are deployed flexibly to address that risk. The absence of a permanent presence at a location does not mean that Customs does not deploy there to address specific risks.
Immigration officers routinely attend ports which do not have a permanent presence, in order to examine passengers arriving on services originating from outside the European economic area. Other services are closely monitored and carriers are required to fax passenger manifests to a designated local immigration office. Immigration officers also make regular unannounced visits to unmanned ports in order to ensure that the correct procedures are being followed.
Customs and Immigration maintain close links, sharing intelligence and undertaking special exercises where these are appropriate.