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.
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.
(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.
This is currently under discussion with airport operators. Our aim is to minimise disruption to passengers.
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.
I have made no estimate. Training costs are a matter for airport operators.
Security staff at certain airports are currently receiving training in behavioural analysis techniques.
This is a detailed operational matter for each UK airport to decide.
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.
The code of practice is under urgent development and will be finalised as soon as possible.
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.
None. We are not proposing the deployment of such technology at UK airports for the detection of powder and liquid explosives.
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.
We envisage that the body scanners to be introduced will use either active millimetre wave or backscatter X-ray technology.
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.
I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 11 January 2010, Official Report, column 660W.
The financing of training for airport security staff is a matter for airport operators.
The financing of this equipment will be a matter for airport operators.
I have not made any estimate. The financing of such equipment is a matter for airport operators.
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.
The current behavioural analysis training programme is focused on airport security staff.