§ Lady HermonTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport for what reasons passengers disembarking flights at Gatwick airport are having their photograph taken; what flights are involved; and how long he expects this measure to last. [140808]
§ Beverley HughesI have been asked to reply.
Following the attack on the World Trade Centre on 11 September 2001 and consequential heightened security measures the Department for Transport instructed the British Airports Authority (BAA) to bring forward arrangements for the full segregation of arriving and departing passengers at the south terminal, Gatwick airport and other airports where this was not already in place.
In order to prevent the circumvention of the immigration control under the new arrangements (by passengers arriving on international flights and leaving the airport via the domestic channel without passing through immigration control) the BAA agreed to adopt an IT system whereby barcoded photo-images of all arriving domestic passengers captured on leaving the aircraft were reconciled at the domestic arrivals channel.
This system has been in operation by Gatwick Airport Limited (GAL) since 1 November 2001. There are no plans to change this system while arriving and departing passengers have access to the same secure areas within the airport.