1 Introduction
1. As a result of the attempted terrorist attack
alleged to have been committed by Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab on
Christmas Day 2009, the Prime Minister announced an urgent review
of existing security measures at airports.[1]
Following this review the Home Secretary made a statement to the
House[2] on 5 January announcing
measures to be introduced to strengthen airport security. These
measures included:
- an increase in the proportion
of passengers to be searched manually or by sniffer dogs and an
increase in the number of bags tested for traces of explosives;
- the deployment of full-body scanners "in
around three weeks" (i.e. by the end of January 2010) at
Heathrow and Manchester airports before being introduced elsewhere;[3]
- the deployment of "explosive trace detection"
equipment by the end of the year;
- the introduction of behavioural analysis training
for BAA staff; and
- consideration of the use of "additional
targeted passenger profiling".
2. On 20 January, the Prime Minister announced a
further measure designed to enhance aviation security; the extension
of Home Office "watch lists" which will form a basis
for the introduction of two new lists; a list of those "subject
to special measures" before flying and a "no-fly"
list.[4]
3. Following these statements we decided to inquire
into the counter-terrorism measures currently in place at British
airports and the impact of the proposed changes on airport security
and passengers. We took oral evidence from Lord West, Minister
for Security and Counter-Terrorism and Stephen Smith, Director,
Office for Security and Counter-Terrorism, Home Office; and Paul
Clark MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, and Niki Tompkinson,
Director, Transec, Department for Transport. We also took evidence
from two security experts, Mr Philip Baum, the editor of Aviation
Security International and the Managing Director of Green
Light Ltd., an aviation security consultancy firm, and Colonel
Richard Kemp CBE, a security manager in the private sector who
has previously acted as a security adviser to the Government of
Macedonia and worked in a counter-terrorism capacity for the Cabinet
Office. In connection with this inquiry we also visited Smiths
Detection in Watford, a manufacturer of airport security devices
to receive an informal briefing and a demonstration of some of
the new equipment being introduced. We thank everyone who has
helped us with our inquiry.
1 See "Gordon Brown orders airport security review",
BBC News, 1 January 2010 Back
2
HC Deb, 5 January 2010, col 28 Back
3
Their installation at Heathrow and Manchester Airports was confirmed
in a Written Ministerial Statement of 1 February 2010. Back
4
HC Deb, 20 January 2010, col 303 Back
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