Asked by: Ian Liddell-Grainger (Conservative - Bridgwater and West Somerset)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what training is given to supervisors at Heathrow Airport on using the Smiths Detection security screening system.
Answered by Robert Courts - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
Supervisors must have received appropriate training in the use of security equipment. Supervisors have to complete relevant training as outlined in the training syllabi that can be found on the CAA website at https://www.caa.co.uk/Commercial-industry/Security/Training/Syllabuses/. We do not provide details of the specific training for security reasons.
Asked by: Ian Liddell-Grainger (Conservative - Bridgwater and West Somerset)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she make an assessment of the effectiveness of the Smiths Detection security screening system at Heathrow Airport.
Answered by Robert Courts - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
The Secretary of State for Transport is responsible for setting the security measures that should be applied in the UK. The Department for Transport advises the industry on equipment that may be used for screening at an airport. This is set out in the DfT Approved Equipment List https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/aviation-security-screening-approved-equipment-list . All such equipment meets the standards set by the European Civil Aviation Conference (ECAC) of which the UK is a member.
Asked by: Ian Liddell-Grainger (Conservative - Bridgwater and West Somerset)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how long the training is to work with the Smiths Detection security screening system at Heathrow Terminal 2.
Answered by Robert Courts - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
Staff must have received appropriate training in the use of equipment before they can operate in a live environment. Staff will have to complete relevant training as outlined in the training syllabi that can be found on the CAA website at https://www.caa.co.uk/Commercial-industry/Security/Training/Syllabuses/. We do not provide details of the specific training for security reasons.
Asked by: Ian Liddell-Grainger (Conservative - Bridgwater and West Somerset)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how long do passengers wait on average in security screening at Heathrow Airport; and what the average time is for a passenger to have a bag checked.
Answered by Robert Courts - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
Heathrow airport has met the monthly security queue standards set under its economic licence between January – August 2021, as demonstrated in its latest performance reports except for one day in July at Terminal 5 central search.
Asked by: Ian Liddell-Grainger (Conservative - Bridgwater and West Somerset)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, who is responsible for decisions to incorporate a security screening machines in UK airports; and who is responsible for the effectiveness of those machines.
Answered by Robert Courts - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
The Secretary of State for Transport is responsible for setting the security measures that should be applied in the UK. The Department for Transport advises the industry on equipment that may be used for screening at an airport. This is set out in the DfT Approved Equipment List https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/aviation-security-screening-approved-equipment-list . All such equipment meets the standards set by the European Civil Aviation Conference (ECAC) of which the UK is a member.
Asked by: Ian Liddell-Grainger (Conservative - Bridgwater and West Somerset)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many people are required to man the Smiths Detection security screening system in Heathrow Terminal 2; and how many were required to man the previous system.
Answered by Robert Courts - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
This will be a matter for the airport depending on the configuration of the security checkpoint.
Asked by: Ian Liddell-Grainger (Conservative - Bridgwater and West Somerset)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the cost is of a Smiths Detection security screening system in Heathrow Terminal 2; and how many of those systems there are across all terminals at Heathrow.
Answered by Robert Courts - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
The Department for Transport does not hold this information.
Asked by: Ian Liddell-Grainger (Conservative - Bridgwater and West Somerset)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the three-year project to incorporate the Smiths Detection system into the security screening process at Heathrow Terminal 2.
Answered by Robert Courts - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
All security equipment and associated processes are required to meet security standards sufficient to ensure that prohibited articles are not taken beyond the airport search point. For security reasons we do not provide details of such arrangements.
Asked by: Ian Liddell-Grainger (Conservative - Bridgwater and West Somerset)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has plans to investigate the practices of JBS in the UK in the context of the public concern in respect of deforestation and that company's policy on that matter.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government is committed to tackling deforestation and greening supply chains. We maintain a regular dialogue with the Brazilian government and legislators on the progress of legislation in Brazil that affects rates of deforestation. The Government will continue to support action by businesses, civil society, and members of Parliament to help reduce deforestation globally. We are committed to maintaining constructive dialogue, working to protect nature and biodiversity and support global climate objectives.
In line with recent calls to halt illegal deforestation including in the Amazon, we are introducing world-leading due diligence legislation through the Environment Bill to help address illegal deforestation across UK supply chains. Close to 90% of deforestation in some of the world’s most important forests is illegal.
We do not currently have plans to investigate the practices of JBS in the UK. However, our due diligence law will make it illegal for larger businesses operating in the UK to use key forest risk commodities produced on land illegally occupied or used. Businesses in scope will also be required to undertake a due diligence exercise on their supply chains, and to report on this exercise annually. To ensure transparency, information about businesses' due diligence exercises will be published. Businesses in scope that do not comply with these requirements may be subject to fines and other civil sanctions.
Asked by: Ian Liddell-Grainger (Conservative - Bridgwater and West Somerset)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the research by Chain Reaction Research published on 31 August 2020, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the findings in that report that 20,296 hectares have been deforested in a sample of JBS’ direct supply chain and 56,421 hectares have been deforested in the indirect supply chain of that company since 2008.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government is committed to tackling deforestation and greening supply chains. We maintain a regular dialogue with the Brazilian government and legislators on the progress of legislation in Brazil that affects rates of deforestation. The Government will continue to support action by businesses, civil society, and members of Parliament to help reduce deforestation globally. We are committed to maintaining constructive dialogue, working to protect nature and biodiversity and support global climate objectives.
In line with recent calls to halt illegal deforestation including in the Amazon, we are introducing world-leading due diligence legislation through the Environment Bill to help address illegal deforestation across UK supply chains. Close to 90% of deforestation in some of the world’s most important forests is illegal.
We do not currently have plans to investigate the practices of JBS in the UK. However, our due diligence law will make it illegal for larger businesses operating in the UK to use key forest risk commodities produced on land illegally occupied or used. Businesses in scope will also be required to undertake a due diligence exercise on their supply chains, and to report on this exercise annually. To ensure transparency, information about businesses' due diligence exercises will be published. Businesses in scope that do not comply with these requirements may be subject to fines and other civil sanctions.