Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Home Affairs, with reference to his oral contribution of 5 September 2018, Official Report, column 169, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the new power to detain people at the UK border to determine whether they are engaged in hostile state activity on the security of the UK.

Schedule 3 to the Counter-Terrorism and Border Security introduced new powers that would allow ports and border officers to stop, question, search and detain persons at UK ports to determine whether they are or have been engaged in hostile activity.

The Bill completed its parliamentary passage on Tuesday 22 January but has not yet received Royal Assent. Following Royal Assent, the Schedule 3 powers will not come into force until the associated statutory guidance has been subject to public consultation, debated by both Houses of Parliament and subsequently commenced by regulations.

These powers were identified as a key gap in the capability of UK law enforcement to tackle the threat from hostile activity and the Government is pleased that Parliament has supported their passage in the Bill.

Once in force, the powers will be subject to the scrutiny and oversight of the Investigatory Powers Commissioner who will report annually on their exercise.