Written question asked by Lord Dykes (Liberal Democrat), in the House of Lords. It was answered by Lord Adonis (Labour) on Wednesday, 17 March 2010.

Airports: Body Scanners

Question: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of when airport screening devices will have technology which will prevent passengers from having to be inappropriately exposed.

Answer: There is a range of different technologies deployed at UK airports for security screening. These technologies have been tested and evaluated by my department both for their detection performance and in respect of operational issues, including protection of privacy. As the use of body scanners on a global scale increases it is likely that demand will stimulate continued innovation by industry, improving the technology and minimising the privacy impact of body scanners.

Secondary information