Body scanners at UK airports

The request was partially successful.

Dear Department for Transport,

I should like to have a copy of all directions to Airport Operators under the Aviation Security Act 1982 relating to Security Scanners, and annexes thereto, excluding:

(a) Those directions which are available on your website at https://www.gov.uk/government/publicatio..., and
(b) Those directions which stand revoked as of the date of this request.

It is my understanding that this will encompass directions to the operators of London Stansted, London City, Edinburgh, Glasgow, and Belfast International airports, but this sentence does not limit my request.

Yours faithfully,

T J P Ralph (Mr)

FOI-ADVICE-TEAM-DFT, Department for Transport

Dear Mr Ralph

Request for Information ref:F0009553

I am writing to acknowledge receipt of your request for information which has been allocated the above reference number. A response will be issued to you in due course.

Regards,

Department for Transport
Information Rights & Records Unit
D/01, Ashdown House
Sedlescombe Road North
St Leonards on Sea
East Sussex
TN37 7GA

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Andrew Bonsall, Department for Transport

2 Attachments

Dear Mr Ralph,

 

Thank you for your letter of 11 December requesting copies of all
Directions and associated annexes to airport operators under the Aviation
Security Act 1982 relating to security scanners, excluding those already
available on our website and those revoked prior to the date of your
request.

 

The response – comprising a cover letter and the requested documents – is
attached to this e-mail.

 

Best wishes,

 

Andrew Bonsall

Aviation Security Policy

1/26 Great Minister House

33 Horseferry Road

London

SW1P 4DR

Tel: 020 7944 2267

[mobile number]

 

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M Boyce left an annotation ()

Thanks for your e-mail Thomas. Your FOIA request is very much appreciated. A few points that I would like to add:
(1) Why did the DfT not put these Directions on their website as they have stated is a legal requirement in their Security Scanners Code of Practice?
(2) Why have they still not done so when it still remains a legal requirement to do so?
(3)Why is DfT falsifying EU legislation. Point 4.1.1.10 simply does not exist in Commission Regulation (EU) No 185/2010, Annex? Not only is the DfT breaking EU law, but it is also making it up.

M BOYCE

Thomas Ralph left an annotation ()

Cheers. I am going to have a think about what to do next, bearing in mind FOI can't be used to answer a "why" question.

M Boyce left an annotation ()

Thomas,

Yes you are right that you must ask for information that is in a recorded form, and this may sometimes include why questions. I think you can see what's going on here with regard to body scanners and that things are not right, and the FOIA 2000 should be a tool to obtain legitimate information and to hold the Government to account for the things that it does wrongly or badly. So far it is failing on both counts.

M BOYCE

M Boyce left an annotation ()

Thomas,

Do you agree that the response that you have got from the DfT is misleading and contradictory? They say that they cannot publish all their security scanner Directions (of course certain security sensitive information should be redacted)on their website because to do so would put us all at risk of a terrorist attack, but then they give you (and then ostensibly the wider public)all this information! They also state that these Directions must be publicly available in the Security Scanners Code of Practice. Have we just been transported to Yes Minster?