HL Deb 04 July 1994 vol 556 cc63-4WA
Lord Swinfen

asked Her Majesty's Government:

If they will make it compulsory by law for all hold baggage being placed on board an aircraft departing from the United Kingdom to be accounted for and authorised for carriage.

Lord Mackay of Ardbrecknish

For some time the United Kingdom has complied with international obligations on passenger baggage by making it a legal requirement for aircraft operators to ensure that all passengers and operating crew whose baggage has been loaded on to an aircraft have boarded and will travel on that aircraft, the baggage of passengers who check in but do not board the aircraft being removed and not carried unless it is subject to security controls.

We have now gone further and on 1 July introduced new measures designed to prevent another Lockerbie-style terrorist attack against civil aviation. It is now a legal requirement that each item of hold baggage placed on board an aircraft for a flight outside the United Kingdom or between Great Britain and Northern Ireland must be accounted for and authorised for carriage. In addition, all unaccompanied hold baggage must be identified and made secure.