HC Deb 01 February 1990 vol 166 c248W
Mr. Fearn

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) how many body contact searches are conducted under the Aviation Security Act 1982 for any given year;

(2) how many complaints have been received about the conduct of searches of persons carried out under the Aviation Security Act 1982; what form the complaints procedure on searches takes; and if he will make a statement;

(3) what monitoring procedures are in place to ensure that the standards and code of conduct set out in the aviation security handbook are followed by security personnel conducting searches of persons under the Aviation Security Act 1982.

Mr. McLoughlin

My right hon. Friend has used his powers under the Act to give directions to aerodrome managers and aircraft operators requiring them to ensure that, apart from a limited range of exceptions, all passengers are screened before being permitted to board aircraft at airports covered by the national aviation security programme, and that staff and other personnel are screened before being permitted to enter restricted areas at the major airports. In many cases the persons concerned are required to pass through metal detection equipment and will not necessarily be searched by hand. No record is kept of the number who are hand searched.

The directions require the screening to be carried out, and lay down the standards to be achieved. The aviation security inspectorate makes regular inspections to ensure that these requirements are met.

The directions do not, however, set out the detailed procedures to be followed or the facilities to be provided to minimise any embarrassment to those selected for hand searching. A certain amount of general guidance on this is included in the aviation security handbook issued by the Department, but essentially these matters are management ones and therefore the responsibility of the airports and airlines.

The Department receives a small number of complaints each year about the procedures adopted, or the facilities provided, by individual airports. The number of such complaints is not recorded.