(1)The Immigration Act 1971 (c. 77) shall be amended as follows.
(2)Section 25A (detention of ship, aircraft or vehicle) shall be renumbered as section 25D (and its title becomes “Detention of ship, aircraft or vehicle”) and—
(a)in subsection (1) for “section 25(1)(a) or (b)” substitute “ section 25, 25A or 25B ”,
(b)in subsections (2) and (4) for “section 25(6)” substitute “ section 25C ”,
(c)for subsection (3) substitute—
“(3)A person (other than the arrested person) may apply to the court for the release of a ship, aircraft or vehicle on the grounds that—
(a)he owns the ship, aircraft or vehicle,
(b)he was, immediately before the detention of the ship, aircraft or vehicle, in possession of it under a hire-purchase agreement, or
(c)he is a charterer of the ship or aircraft.”,
and
(d)omit subsection (7).
(3)In section 28A (arrest without warrant)—
(a)in subsection (3)(a) for “section 25(1)” substitute “ section 25, 25A or 25B ”,
(b)omit subsection (4),
(c)in subsection (10) omit “, (4)(b)”, and
(d)in subsection (11) omit “, (4)”.
(4)In section 28B(5) (search and arrest by warrant) for “, section 24A or section 25(2)” substitute “ , 24A ”.
(5)In section 28C(1) (search and arrest without warrant) for “section 25(1)” substitute “ section 25, 25A or 25B ”.
(6)In section 28D(4) (entry and search of premises) for “section 24A or section 25” substitute “ 24A, 25, 25A, 25B ”.
(7)In section 28F (the title to which becomes “Entry and search of premises following arrest under section 25, 25A or 25B”) in subsection (1) for “section 25(1)” substitute “ section 25, 25A, 25B ”.
(8)After section 33(1) (interpretation) insert—
“(1A)A reference to being an owner of a vehicle, ship or aircraft includes a reference to being any of a number of persons who jointly own it.”