asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether, in view of the removal, in the near future, of all the high security women prisoners in Armagh prison to Maghaberry prison, he will make it his policy to discontinue strip searching in Armagh prison; and if he will make a statement.

No. The search procedures used at Armagh are similar to those used in comparable prisons throughout the United Kingdom and, to the best of our knowledge, in most western European countries and in north America.