5. Letter to the Chairman of the Committee from
Paul Goggins MP, Minister of State for Northern Ireland
DOMESTIC DATA CAPTURE POWER
I am responding to David Weir's letter of 11 December
asking for a note addressing the identity requirements for people
travelling on routes between Northern Ireland and the rest of
the UK.
This issue is one in which the Home Office is in
the lead, but I have taken a close interest in it. Section 14
of the Police and Justice Act 2006 introduced a new power that
will allow the police to capture passenger, crew and service information
on air and sea journeys within the United Kingdom.
The Home Office plan to apply this power to air and
sea routes between Great Britain and Northern Ireland with the
aim of addressing a vulnerability in the Common Travel Area identified
by the security & intelligence agencies. Individuals of interest
are flying into Ireland and then crossing the land border to take
an onward domestic flight or ferry from Northern Ireland into
England, Wales or Scotland. Similarly, individuals seeking to
leave the UK unnoticed can use this route in the opposite direction.
These are vulnerable routes that criminals exploit because of
the absence of checks within the Common Travel Area. The police
power is not targeting people resident in NI, but is aimed at
all passengers travelling on those routes.
The power will ensure that a passenger on the manifest
is the same as the person checking in (a role that airlines already
undertake in many cases as part of their own security arrangements
to make sure that the right passengers are in the right seats).
If, following consultation, the power is brought
into force, it will mean that passengers and crew travelling on
routes between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK will have
to provide the carrier with a form of identification before travelling
on those routes. Photo ID is, of course, already required to
board the majority of internal flights. It does not mean that
NI or GB residents will be required to show identification when
landing in Northern Ireland or Great Britain. The screening of
passengers in advance of travel should also mean a reduction in
the number of impromptu police checks on legitimate travellers.
The Police Service of Northern Ireland and other
UK police forces will use the data collected under this power
to support intelligence led interventions to counter terrorism
and tackle serious and organised crime.
The Home Office intend to put detailed proposals
out to full public consultation in due course. I know that the
power is intended to be proportionate and reasonable. There is
no intention to prevent people from travelling at short notice
or to unnecessarily delay their journey through the airport.
I hope this provides reassurance about the Government's
approach to this issue. I am copying this letter to Vernon Coaker,
the lead Minister on this issue in the Home Office.
26 January 2009
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