53 Results in 2016 After each visit, the Parliamentary Ombudsman publishes a report that describes findings and makes recommendations for measures to prevent torture and ill-treatment. Each institution visited is requested to inform the Parliamentary Ombudsman of steps taken to follow up the recommendations within three months of the report’s publication.¹ The responses received in 2016 show that sites visited tend to follow up the recommendations in a thorough manner, implementing measures that reinforce due process protection and reduce the risk of torture and ill-treatment. In general, the Parliamentary Ombudsman has found that institutions are positive to reviewing their own procedures and practices and that they appreciate the dialogue with the Ombudsman following the visits. An important part of this follow-up also takes place at the ministerial and directorate level. This applies to changes to or clarifications of laws and regulations, budgetary allocations and the priorities of each sector as a whole. In 2017, the Parliamentary Ombudsman plans to meet with the Ministry of Justice and Public Security and the Ministry of Health and Care Services to discuss overriding issues at places of detention. Highlights of findings, recommendations and follow-up measures in 2016: Body searches Finding and recommendation Body searches are a highly invasive measure. During its visits, the NPM has studied the procedures for when and how a body search should be carried out and how such searches are carried out in practice. The NPM found variation both across and within institutions as to whether an individual assessment is made of the need for the body search and how the search is carried out. The Parliamentary Ombudsman has emphasised that searches should only be carried out following an individual assessment, and has recommended that searches involving the full removal of clothing be carried out in two steps.² ›› Follow-up Police custody facilities in Ålesund, Lillestrøm and Bergen have now introduced two-step searches as the standard procedure and incorporated this in the local custody instructions. The police in Ålesund submitted a description of their new search procedure to the Parliamentary Ombudsman. This new procedure emphasises that searches are to be carried out in a humane and dignified manner, also in situations where the detainee is not being cooperative. ›› 1 The institutions' follow-up letters and correspondence with the Parliamentary Ombudsman are published on its website (in Norwegian). 2 This is a practice recommended by the CPT. See report from the CPT's visit to the Netherlands in 2011, [CPT/Inf (2012) 21] page 23, paragraph 32.