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Aviation: Security

Volume 503: debated on Wednesday 13 January 2010

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what assessment he has made of the effects of the additional security arrangements introduced in December 2009 on queuing times and delays at UK airports. (309430)

While the additional measures introduced for US bound flights are the responsibility of the US Government, the Department for Transport inspectors have been working with airports and airlines to assess the extent of delays. The Department for Transport and the US Government are in regular contact to discuss ways in which delays can be minimised while maintaining adequate levels of service.

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport whether the Government plan to introduce the additional security checks recently introduced for flights to the US to other flights departing the UK. (310284)

These checks were introduced in response to US Government requirements. The UK Government will not be introducing such specific requirements for other flights, but will be improving security for all departing passengers in line with the statement made by my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary to Parliament on 5 January.

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport (1) what estimate he has made of the cost to the aviation industry of additional security checks on passengers transferring at UK airports to flights to other destinations; (310287)

(2) what additional security checks he plans to introduce for passengers transferring at UK airports to flights to other destinations;

(3) whether additional security checks on passengers transferring through UK airports will apply to passengers arriving from all countries or specified countries.

The Government are not implementing additional security checks specifically on transfer passengers at UK airports, and so no additional costs are involved. International transfer passengers are already subject to the same screening regime as departing passengers, and will therefore be covered by the wider enhancements to airport security that are being introduced.

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what estimate he has made of the average time required to carry out the new security checks on airline passengers and others. (310299)

This is currently under discussion with airport operators. Our aim is to minimise disruption to passengers.

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what proportion of airline passengers transferring at UK airports to other destinations will be subject to additional security screening. (310300)

Transfer passengers are subject to the same security regime as departing passengers. The precise proportion of passengers selected for screening is not made public for security reasons.

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what estimates have been made of the likely costs to (a) airports and (b) airline operators of training for staff on new security measures. (310302)

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport whether behavioural profiling is used in security measures undertaken at UK airports. (310303)

Security staff at certain airports are currently receiving training in behavioural analysis techniques.

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many full body scanners he expects to be introduced into UK airports in the next (a) six months, (b) year, (c) two years and (d) five years. (310304)

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what assessment he has made of the effects of the introduction of full body scanners at airports on (a) the length of queues at security and (b) levels of passenger convenience. (310305)

Urgent consultation with industry is under way particularly with those airports who have trialled such body scanners to ensure that such operational issues are taken into account.

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what criteria will be used to decide which passengers are subject to full body scanning at airports. (310307)

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport when he expects to publish the report of the Government’s review of airport security measures. (310314)

I refer the hon. Member to the statement made to the House by my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary on 5 January 2010, Official Report, columns 28-32.

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of passive millimetre wave technology in the detection of powder and liquid explosives. (310316)

None. We are not proposing the deployment of such technology at UK airports for the detection of powder and liquid explosives.

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what assessment he has made of the cost (a) to the public purse and (b) to the aviation industry of introducing full body scanners to all UK airports. (310317)

The costs of introducing body scanners will be met by airports, and not the public purse. It will be up to airport operators to determine how many machines are needed to process passengers without undue delay, and so an assessment of cost at this stage is not possible.

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport whether the full body scanners he plans to introduce to airports will use passive millimetre wave technology or X-ray technology. (310318)

We envisage that the body scanners to be introduced will use either active millimetre wave or backscatter X-ray technology.

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of full body scanning security equipment for airports that does not use passive millimetre wave technology. (310319)

The Department for Transport has assessed the effectiveness of active millimetre wave and backscatter X-ray technology. It is envisaged that the body scanners to be deployed at UK airports will use either of these methods.

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport whether there will be a minimum age for people to be subject to full body scanning security at airports. (310320)

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport pursuant to the oral statement of 5 January 2010, Official Report, columns 28-32, on aviation and border security, whether funds from his Department's budget will be allocated to training for airport security staff on new security measures. (310339)

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport pursuant to the Oral Statement of 5 January 2010, Official Report, columns 28-32, on aviation and border security, whether his Department plans to contribute to the cost of introducing explosive trace detection equipment in all UK airports by the end of the year. (310340)

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport pursuant to the Oral Statement of 5 January 2010, Official Report, columns 28-32, on aviation and border security, whether he has made an estimate of the cost to the aviation industry of his Department's requirement that all UK airports introduce explosive trace detection equipment by the end of the year. (310341)

I have not made any estimate. The financing of such equipment is a matter for airport operators.

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport when he expects full body scanning equipment to be operational in all designated UK airports. (310350)

The first scanner is expected to be operational at Heathrow airport within about three weeks. We are discussing urgently with the airport industry the widespread roll out of scanners at UK airports as soon as is practical.

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport pursuant to the Oral Statement of 5 January 2010, Official Report, columns 28-32, on aviation and border security, whether he expects airline staff to receive training in behavioural analysis techniques. (310362)