Draft Transport Security Bill

The government has outlined plans to bring forward legislation toestablish new arrangements for airport security and implement the UK’sinternational obligations to combat terrorist acts at sea.

The Bill is championed by the Department for Transport and aims toimplement the recommendations of the 2006 independent review of airportpolicing, which requires the majority of airports to agree a localairport security plan. The Bill also creates a number of new offencesrelating to committing acts of terrorism at sea, including, the use ofships to transport weapons of mass destruction or in any other mannerthat causes death or serious injury or damage, using a ship or fixedplatform to discharge any explosive, radioactive material orbiological, chemical, or nuclear weapon or any other hazardoussubstance to cause death or injury.

The provisions accommodate for improved inter-agency co-operation in establishing airport security arrangements, with greater clarity of roles and responsibilities, regular assessments of how threats to an airport are mitigated, greater confidence for all in airport security, both locally and nationally.

The Bill seeks to enable the UK to fulfill its international counter-terrorism obligation.