Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of Border Force presence in customs halls in airports.

Border Force continually assesses its deployment of officers across the border to ensure resources are aligned to operational demands, intelligence and border security outcomes. Border Force operates a flexible resourcing model, enabling officers to be deployed dynamically in response to passenger volumes, customs risks and wider security requirements. This ensures an appropriate Border Force presence is maintained in customs halls at airports across the United Kingdom. The Government remains committed to maintaining a secure and effective border. Border Force continues to use a combination of officer deployment, intelligence-led activity, technology and close working with law enforcement partners to identify and disrupt illicit activity at the border.