Written question asked by Mike Weatherley (Conservative) on Monday, 13 December 2010, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 15 December 2010. It was answered by Theresa Villiers (Conservative) on Monday, 20 December 2010 on behalf of the Department for Transport.

Airports

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will consider the merits of introducing measures at all airports allowing expedited access for uniformed crew.

Answer: Aviation security search measures apply equally to all (passengers, airport staff and aircrew including pilots) regardless of gender, race, age and occupation, with only a very limited number of exemptions, for example in respect of heads of state. The more people we exempt from search, the greater the risk this creates.We would be wary of creating a two tier screening system that may increase the likelihood of people becoming targets for coercion. Even professional pilots with the highest levels of integrity and honesty can find themselves the subject of coercion or blackmail from those who might seek to force them to carry prohibited items into a critical part of an airport.All screening measures are kept under review. The Department for Transport has regular dialogue with industry partners, including representatives of airline pilots, to ensure that security measures are commensurate with the existing threat.

Secondary information