HC Deb 23 May 2002 vol 386 c511W
Mr. Don Foster

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many incidents of(a) terrorist activity and (b) suspected terrorist activity have been recorded by (i) the British Transport Police and (ii) other organisations relating to the railways in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement. [58192]

Mr. Jamieson

[holding answer 22 May 2002]: After consultation with the British Transport Police, I can confirm that since 1997 the following numbers of incidents have been recorded in relation to security of the UK's rail network:

  • 1997: 562 threats, three viable devices or explosions, 33 hoax bomb items
  • 1998: 280 threats, 0 viable devices or explosions, 30 hoax bomb items
  • 1999: 323 threats, 0 viable devices or explosions, 20 hoax bomb items
  • 2000: 253 threats, two viable devices or explosions, 10 hoax bomb items
  • 2001: 347 threats, three viable devices or explosions, 18 hoax bomb items (plus 94 hoax biological items, eg white powder)
  • 2002: 58 threats, 0 viable devices or explosions, 9 hoax bomb items.

In this instance "threat" means the number of times that railway infrastructure has specifically been indicated as a possible target in each given year, and "hoax bomb items" constitutes the number of items that have deliberately been assembled to resemble an explosive device.