HC Deb 19 April 1993 vol 223 cc10-1
7. Mr. Kynoch

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what further proposals he has for improving security at United Kingdom airports.

Mr. Norris

The Government have proposals for 100 per cent. hold baggage screening, for requiring airlines to account for and authorise for carriage all the baggage that they carry, and for improving the security of air cargo, mail and courier traffic.

Mr. Kynoch

As a frequent user of airliners, I am concerned that the Lockerbie disaster and the lessons learnt from it should be kept very much to the fore. I therefore welcome my hon. Friend's answer. Will he confirm that Britain is leading the way in Europe with those measures? Will he also reassure me that, as 80 per cent. of British air travel is international, he will give the highest priority to ensuring that the target of 100 per cent. is attained as soon as possible?

Mr. Norris

I am grateful to my hon. Friend for raising this subject and he is right to believe that the House takes the issue very seriously. I can confirm that my Department will continue to attach a high degree of importance to the whole issue of airport, airline and aviation safety generally. It may interest my hon. Friend to learn that our resources in that area have been increased tenfold since 1987.

Mr. Prescott

Can the Minister tell the House whether tests of aviation security at our airports carried out by his Department have shown standards to be unacceptably low four years after the Lockerbie tragedy?

Mr. Norris

I can confirm what my hon. Friend the Member for Kincardine and Deeside (Mr. Kynoch) said in his original supplementary—that standards in the United Kingdom are far in advance of those in virtually every other country in the world. From his knowledge of these matters, the hon. Member for Kingston upon Hull, East (Mr. Prescott) will know that in terms of implementation of 100 per cent. screening by 1996, we are already making very substantial progress towards that and are way in advance of most other countries in Europe. On that basis, I am indeed satisfied with the measures that the Department and the airlines and carriers are taking.