181.Section 54 amends paragraph 17 of Schedule 2 to the 1971 Act so as to confer a power on detainee custody officers, acting in accordance with escort arrangements, to enter premises in order to search a person who has been detained prior to escorting him to a place of detention. The power is confined to those circumstances where an immigration or police officer has executed a warrant issued under paragraph 17(2) of Schedule 2 to the 1971 Act and has detained a person on the premises.
182.The existing powers of detainee custody officers acting in accordance with escort arrangements are contained in paragraph 2 of Schedule 13 to the 1999 Act. In particular, a detainee custody officer has the power to search a detained person for whose delivery or custody he is responsible. The new power would permit such a search to take place on private premises where entry is not by consent.