Category: News; Radio 4
Date: 14.03.2006
Printable version
An investigation by 大象传媒 Radio 4's File on 4 has learnt that some international flights have arrived at Blackpool airport with no immigration officers on duty - while, elsewhere, on other occasions there has been no customs and excise cover either.
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Local Liberal Democrat MP, Dr John Pugh, tells File on 4 - to be broadcast on Tuesday 14 March at 8.00pm: "A senior security source said to me that Blackpool is wide open.
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"In other words it doesn't have all the security paraphernalia we'd expect to have at Manchester or major airports and that is a concern."
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Six weeks ago a passenger arriving at Blackpool from Spain reported 'no immigration officers to be seen'.
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The passenger was told 'because of the awful conditions and work going on', for health and safety reasons officers could not work there.
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Speaking about security at Britain's ports and airports, Lord Carlile, who reviews the operation of the Terrorism Act for the Government, tells the programme that Customs and Immigration services are "spread a little thinly and that's not entirely satisfactory."
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Lord Carlile says he believes most terrorists are likely to be caught but"nobody could put their hand on their heart at the moment and say they feel totally confident that all terrorists are likely to be caught coming in from abroad."
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He adds: "There is an issue there as to whether there are enough custom officers and enough immigration service officers to protect this country fully, as fully as I would wish against terrorism incidents."
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John Tincey, Vice Chairman of the Immigration Service Union, tells the programme there are significant gaps in our national defences.
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He says: "It's possible that there are in a number of the very small airports around the country flights arriving when immigration staff are not available, but that is because they are deployed at other locations meeting other aircraft where the risk is considered to be greater.
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"It's not a situation I'm happy with."
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Customs approach is intelligence-led which means ports and airports are given attention on a risk assessment basis.
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At the moment that means that those deemed low risk may have no officers at all.
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But File on 4 has learnt that there may be cuts to some Customs resources devoted to the gathering of that intelligence.
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Martin Peach, Director of Detection, HM Revenue and Customs, says: "There is flux and organisational change... refocussing in particular locations and that could well mean that in some locations there are changes."
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He denies there would be any overall reduction in intelligence capability but admits there could be a redirection of resource from one area to another.
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He says HM Revenue and Customs has, with the Home Office, "a strategy to play their full role in countering terrorism."
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Lord Carlile argued in his report last year that the patchiness of Customs cover in particular merits a Parliamentary inquiry because of concerns over terrorism.
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The Home Office says the Immigration Service ensures all arriving flights are assessed and appropriately handled.
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Notes to Editors
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Any use of the above should credit 大象传媒 Radio 4's File on 4, 8.00pm, Tuesday 14 March 2006.
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MB
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