Friends of the Rail Forum

Another example of over-reaction by the burgeoning security industry, in my humble opinion - and a step towards making getting on a train as unpleasant an experience as getting on a plane...

BEGINS:

Rail passengers face anti-terror searches

· Security at shopping malls to guard against car bombs
· Guidance for cinemas, theatres and restaurants

Alan Travis and Patrick Wintour
Thursday November 15, 2007
The Guardian

Rail passengers at Britain's largest stations face being searched and having their bags screened as part of a package of national security measures unveiled by Gordon Brown yesterday.

The PM said he hoped inconvenience could be minimised but the checks were needed alongside new concrete anti-car bomb barriers and vehicle exclusion zones outside airport terminals, shopping centres and the 250 busiest rail stations.

The measures follow a review by Brown's security adviser, Lord West, on how best to protect crowded public places, hubs in the transport network and more than 100 sensitive installations, including nuclear power stations, after this summer's failed terror attacks in Glasgow and London.

New guidance is also to be sent to thousands of cinemas, theatres, restaurants, hotels, sporting venues, hospitals, schools and places of worship advising them to train staff to be more vigilant and to carry out searches and practise evacuation drills. The programme will be backed up by the recruitment of 160 "counter-terrorism advisers" by local authorities.

The list of extra security measures was leavened by the prospect that the ban on taking more than one bag of hand luggage aboard planes leaving Britain will be progressively eased from January. However, size restrictions on liquids and cabin luggage will remain in force.

The Department for Transport said later it had no plans to install permanent security screens but said trials had already taken place using portable systems and sniffer dogs.

The prime minister coupled the announcement with disclosing some elements of the detailed national security strategy being worked on in Whitehall, with a strong emphasis on stepping up the effort to tackle the spread of extremism in a renewed "hearts and minds" drive.

In particular, he announced that £240m is to be spent by the Home Office on policing in order to focus as much on "preventing the next generation as pursuing current targets". The hearts and minds drive will involve internet companies, the media, universities, schools, mosques, youth clubs and prisons in moves to counter the influence of radical fundamentalists.

Brown told MPs that West had uncovered "no major failures in our protective security", although the security adviser's review is not being published to avoid alerting terrorists to any weak spots.

At the same time the Home Office announced it had awarded the main contract for its £1.2bn "e-borders" programme to ensure that the personal details of everyone who travels into and out of Britain are logged in advance so they can be tracked against US-style "no fly" lists. Immigration airline liaison officers posted abroad are to be given the on-the-spot power to cancel visas to prevent travel.

The £650m contract signed with a consortium led by US defence company Raytheon will involve up to 90 separate pieces of information being supplied to the security services before a passenger flies to or from Britain. The programme aims to achieve 100% coverage by 2014.

Mr Brown also confirmed an intention to set up a single, 25,000-strong, border force, merging the immigration service with customs and some visa staff. He indicated that legislation would be introduced to ensure that its officers have police-style powers to detain and investigate criminal and terror suspects for up to nine hours.

A detailed review published by the Cabinet Office yesterday of the structure of the new force detailed the danger of creating a national police force if it included police officers as well. However, the review explicitly says the door has been left open to merger in the longer term.

Public sector union leaders warned yesterday of teething problems in recent trials in which immigration officers had been expected to do customs work with less than three hours' training, and customs offices expected to carry out key roles such as "passenger profiling".

David Cameron gave a broad welcome to the national security package, including the checks at rail stations, but questioned how the battle for hearts and minds could be won without banning groups such as Hizb ut-Tahrir and Hizbullah in Britain.

The main measures

Protecting public places
Travel Screening of baggage and passenger searches at some large rail stations but one-bag-only luggage rule to be lifted at airports in January. Barriers against car bomb attacks at 250 busiest rail stations, airport terminals, ports and more than 100 sensitive installations.

Other crowded places Guidance to be issued to thousands of cinemas, theatres, restaurants, hotels, sporting venues, commercial centres, hospitals, schools and places of worship. Up to 160 counter-terrorism advisers to train civilian staff to identify suspect activity and ensure premises have secure emergency exits, effective CCTV and regular searches and evacuation drills.

Security Service
Staff numbers to rise from 3,300 to more than 4,000. Dedicated regional counter-terrorism units with more than 2,000 police and support staff to investigate those who recruit terrorists and promote hate. An extra £240m for the Home Office to "prevent the next generation of terrorists pursuing current targets". Extra £70m to be spent on community projects to counter violent extremism.

Terror trials
A single senior judge to be nominated to manage all terrorism cases and a single senior prosecutor to handle violent extremism cases. Fourteen new specially protected courtrooms to be built.

Unified border force
25,000-strong agency uniting Borders and Immigration Agency, Customs and UK Visas staff. All officers to have powers of arrest and detention for criminal as well as immigration offences. Overseas airline liaison officers to be given power to revoke visas and operate "no fly lists". £650m contract signed yesterday for the £1.2bn "eborders" programme to log all movements in and out of the UK by 2014. Checks on people leaving the country to be restored.

Isolating extremism
New police and security intelligence unit to identify those at risk of falling under influence of extremist groups. Series of events at home and abroad, including Pakistan, to counter extremist propaganda. Home secretary to invite largest internet companies to counter online incitement to hatred. Television and newspaper editors to debate terrorism in the media. Charity Commission to ensure that voluntary organisations are not exploited by extremists.

Education
Debate to be held over how to ensure extremists cannot impose their views while maintaining academic freedom. Museums, libraries and archives to agree common approach to dealing with inflammatory material. Headteachers' forum to advise on protecting young people in schools. Schools of different faiths to be twinned in £2m scheme.

Faith
Green paper on encouraging interfaith groups in every constituency. European centre for excellence in Islamic studies to be set up and greater understanding of contribution of Islam to European history and culture to be promoted.

Similar story from BBC:

Travel terror security stepped up

Security will be stepped up at railway stations, airports and ports as part of government attempts to tackle terrorism, Gordon Brown has announced.

There will be new security barriers, vehicle exclusion zones and blast resistant buildings, but air passengers will be allowed more luggage from 2008.

Rail travellers at large stations will also face having their bags screened.

The PM's statement came amid confusion over his security minister's views on detention limits for terror suspects.

In his wide-ranging Commons statement on national security, Mr Brown said that the failed bomb attacks in London and Glasgow Airport in June showed the need to ensure young people are not "radicalised" by extremists.

He outlined the creation of a new unit bringing together police and security intelligence to look not only at the "inner circle" of extremists but also at those at risk of falling under their influence.

The bulk of the statement covered security at public places such as transport hubs, which had been the subject of a review by ex-Admiral and current security minister Lord West.

Mr Brown said improved security would be installed at the country's 250 busiest railway stations, as well as airports, ports and more than 100 other sensitive locations.

"Additional screening" of baggage and passenger searches were planned at some large railway stations and other "sensitive locations", he said.

But the Department for Transport has stressed there are no plans to install permanent security scanners at railway stations - trials so far have involved portable or temporary systems, and sniffer dogs.

Mr Brown said guidance would be sent to thousands of cinemas, theatres, restaurants, hotels, sporting venues and commercial centres, as well as all hospitals, schools and places of worship to advise them on how to keep visitors safe against terrorism.

Ministers would work with architects and planners to encourage them to "design-in" better security measures in new buildings, such as blast resistant material, safe areas and traffic control measures.

Companies responsible for crowded places would be given updated advice on how they could improve resilience against attack, he said.
About 160 counter-terrorism advisers will train civilian staff to watch out for suspect activity, ensure premises have adequate emergency facilities and make best use of their CCTV footage.

Improved facilities to screen baggage would allow airports to seek approval from 7 January to let passengers take more than one item of hand luggage on flights.

However, size restrictions on liquids and cabin luggage would remain.

The security budget, currently £2.5bn this year, will rise to £3.5bn in 2011, he said and the security service will double in size from 2001, when it had less than 2,000 staff - to more than 4,000.

He said tougher measures to deal with convicted terrorists would be included in the upcoming Counter Terrorism Bill and a new unit will be set up in the Charity Commission, to make sure charities are not exploited by extremists.

Talks on "repatriation arrangements" for terrorism suspects, already agreed with Jordan, Lebanon and Algeria, were underway with "a number of additional countries," he said.

The prime minister also outlined measures to counter the influence of radical fundamentalists in Britain's schools, universities, mosques, youth clubs and prisons, as well as on the internet.

Strong relationships

He said a new forum of head teachers would be convened to find ways to protect pupils from extremist propaganda.

"There is no greater priority than the safety and security of our people and building the strongest possible relationships across all faiths and communities," Mr Brown told MPs.

He also said a review of the use of intercept evidence in court cases - currently banned - would report back in January and he believed there was a "consensus" on allowing terrorist suspects to be questioned after they are charged.

Consultation with parties and communities was beginning on the controversial issue of holding terrorism suspects beyond 28 days without charge - which is opposed by both the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats.

Mr Brown, whose security minister Lord West had earlier had to backtrack after saying he was not convinced about extending the 28 day limit, said he believed it was possible to get a cross-party consensus.

Community confidence

In his response, Tory leader David Cameron said there had been "a number of good ideas", and said the terrorist threat was now of "a completely different order" to that faced in the past.

But he said: "As a nation we need the hard-nosed defence of our liberties."

Introducing post-charge questioning and using intercept evidence should relieve the need to extend pre-charge detention beyond 28-days, he argued.

And acting Lib Dem leader Vincent Cable said: "Our main concern remains the issue of pre-charge detention.

"This is not a separate issue from the issue about which you spoke at length, which is the issue of confidence in the minority communities, because this is an issue of great concern to them.

"There already is a substantial degree of consensus - that we should not proceed beyond the present 28 days."

KEY POINTS
Security to be improved at stations, airports and ports
This will include more barriers and blast-resistant buildings
Guidance sent to venues like cinemas and shopping centres
More screening at big railway stations
Head teachers' forum to protect pupils from extremist propaganda
Firms responsible for crowded places to be given updated advice
"One bag rule" on airline hand luggage to be relaxed at some airports
New UK Border Agency will have additional powers of detention
Airline liaison officers will be able to cancel visas
Repatriation deals sought with foreign terror suspects' country of origin
Single senior judge to manage all terrorism cases
Single CPS lead prosecutor for inciting violent extremism
New laws with tougher punishments and to facilitate asset freezing

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/u ... 093752.stm

Published: 2007/11/14 20:23:19 GMT

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