HL Deb 03 November 1970 vol 312 cc288-9
LORD BALOGH

My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.

[The Question was as follows:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what disciplinary action was taken against the official responsible for security in Bahrein when the Arab guerrillas boarded the B.O.A.C. VC 10, subsequently diverted by them to an airstrip in Jordan at a time when security ought to have been at its maximum as other airliners had been diverted and all the world knew that the B.O.A.C. would be a priority target.]

THE MINISTER WITHOUT PORTFOLIO (LORD DRUMALBYN)

My Lords, responsibility for security is shared between airlines and airport authorities. According to my information, the persons to whom the noble Lord refers did not board the aircraft at Bahrein, but at another Gulf airport. I am satisfied that B.O.A.C. attempted to take effective steps to tighten their security at all Gulf airports in the period immediately before the hijacking.

LORD BALOGH

My Lords, I thank the noble Lord for his Answer. May I ask whether it was not really a piece of neglect not to have searched people at those points, whether it was in Bahrein or elsewhere, thereby allowing people who were fully armed to get firearms and bombs, according to the reports later published, on to the aircraft?

LORD DRUMALBYN

My Lords, I would reply to that question by saying that the decision whether to search, and how intensive the search should be, lies with the airline; but it is the police, in conjunction with the local customs officials, who would have to do the search in each case.

LORD BRAYE

My Lords, may I ask why it is that at present not everybody is searched at London Airport?

LORD DRUMALBYN

My Lords, this Question relates to disciplinary action taken against an official responsible for security in Bahrein. If the noble Lord's supplementary question relates to that, then I would only say that I have already said that effective steps to tighten security at all Gulf airports were taken in so far as it was within the capacity of B.O.A.C. to take them.