§ Mr. BaileyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to make changes to current authorisations under section 19D of the Race Relations Act 1976, as amended. [61371]
§ Beverley HughesI have today revoked the authorisation signed by my hon. friend the member for Hornsey and Wood Green (Mrs. Roche) on 23 April 2001 which permits immigration officers to discriminate in the examination of passengers from certain specified ethnic or national groups. We have kept this authorisation under close review in the light of intelligence assessments from the Immigration Service. After a year's experience of operating the authorisations, the Immigration Service has found it sufficient to rely on the authorisation made on 27 March 2001 which permits it to prioritise certain passengers for additional examination on the basis of their nationality. We will keep under review the possible need for further authorisations permitting discrimination on grounds of ethnic or national origin where necessary in respect of specific targeted operations.