Written Question·Home Office·UIN 190659
Emergencies: Powers of Entry
Tabled: 21 June 2023
Answered: 26 June 2023
Named DayQuestion
Simon Lightwood
Labour (Co-op) — Wakefield and Rothwell
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans to review powers of entry into premises in the next 12 months; and if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of giving paramedics powers to force entry to homes in emergency calls.
Answer
Chris PhilpNeither the Home Office nor the Department for Health and Social Care is currently planning a review of powers of entry.
Police officers have the power to enter a premises without a search warrant for the purpose of “saving life or limb” (Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984, section 17[1][e]). This can include responding to a health emergency, depending on the circumstances.