§ Lord StrathcarronMy 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 why the security authorities should require three days to clear a British passenger to the Isle of Man travelling in a British registered private aircraft with a British pilot when the same passenger could travel by public transport without question.
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord Elton)My Lords, the minimum period of notice required for applications to fly from airfields not designated under Prevention of Terrorism legislation is 24 hours. All passengers travelling to the Isle of Man by public or private transport are liable to examination by police under the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act 1976.
§ Lord StrathcarronMy Lords, I thank my noble friend for his reply, but would be not agree that the filing of a flight plan is sufficient security in itself, bearing in mind that the progress of the aircraft is monitored through various control zones, and there is a security check at Ronaldsway at the other end in any case? May I further ask my noble friend whether he does not agree that a pilot indulging in some nefarious deed would not file a flight plan and would not go and inform security, but would just fly at 100 feet under the radar cover to his designation? Therefore, does my noble friend not consider the security arrangements at this end to be superfluous?
§ Lord EltonMy Lords, as to the first part of my noble friend's question, we are dealing here with the common travel area formed by Great Britain, the Channel Islands, the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man, in which no immigration regulations as apply to other destinations exist, and in view of the threat posed by the free movement of terrorists within this area it was decided back in 1974 to legislate to bring that travel under the purview of examining officers.
As to the second part of my noble friend's question, it is not simply the pilot that the authorities are concerned with; it is the passengers, who may appear to perfectly ordinary pilots starting from non-scheduled airports to be perfectly innocent people but who may have succeeded in deceiving those people. In view of the level of the terrorist threat, I think your Lordships would agree that it is proper that this traffic should be kept under purview.
§ Lord StrathcarronMy Lords, I thank my noble friend for his explanation. Would he please bear in mind that it is possible to fly in a private aircraft with passengers all over Western Europe, and you merely present the passengers' passports at the other end; you do not have to notify anybody as to their identity before you leave? And would be bear in mind that the Isle of Man is not exactly Ireland; it is an independent island on the way, so to speak?
§ Lord EltonMy Lords, it is the phrase, "in the way", which sums up the way", in which I shall bear this in mind.