§ Patrick MercerTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what measures his Department has put in place to offer financial assistance to(a) sea freight and (b) air freight companies to help improve anti-terrorism awareness; [184591]
648W(2) what measures his Department has put in place to offer training to (a) shipping freight and (b) air freight companies in anti-terrorism awareness. [184592]
§ Mr. JamiesonIt has long been central to UK transport policy that users should pay the full costs, including those of security. Organisations delivering training in air cargo security are required to be approved in that role by the Department, and to that end the instructors are required to have attended an air cargo managers course and are then provided with a training 649W pack setting our the UK National Aviation Security Training Programme, with objectives and teaching points to ensure that the training, when they are accredited, represents a proper understanding of how responsibilities for air cargo security should be discharged.
For shipping freight companies it is part of the Port Facility Security Officer's (PFSO) responsibilities, under the International Ship and Port Security (ISPS) Code, to ensure that appropriate training is conducted by their security staff.