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Following is a question by the Hon Lau Kong-wah and a written reply by the Secretary for Security, Mr Ambrose S K Lee, in the Legislative Council today (December 17):
Question:
It was reported that testers managed to bring forbidden items such as explosive substances and sharp knives into the restricted area of the Hong Kong International Airport (the airport) during three of the four internal tests conducted recently to assess the performance of airport security officers in discharging their inspection duties, which reflected serious security loopholes at the airport. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(a) of the airport's level of attack risk each year based on the assessment results and overseas intelligence collected over the past three years, and whether the authorities have adopted special security measures in response to the risk level; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(b) of the number and types of forbidden items found by airport security officers in the course of inspecting passengers and goods in each of the past three years; and
(c) whether the Aviation Security Company Limited (AVSECO) provides updated training for its security officers on a regular basis, including training on security procedures such as passenger inspection, so as to enable them to act against the many and varied tricks of terrorists; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and of the details of the Airport Authority regular monitoring of the AVSECO's performance in the provision of security services?
Reply:
Madam President,
Before answering the specific questions posed, I would like to clarify that the failure of the three internal security tests referred to in the preamble of the Question does not automatically reflect serious security loopholes at the Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) and should not be interpreted as such. As elaborated in my answer to (c) below, the tests are aimed at identifying weaknesses in the security system and to provide information on areas for improvement. The tests are continually carried out both at random and on a targeted basis, with a view to maintaining the integrity of the system in a changing environment.
My answers to the specific questions are as follows:
(a) The Police has been monitoring closely acts of terrorism which occur in other parts of the world. There has been no specific intelligence to suggest that Hong Kong is likely to be a target for terrorism. The Police has maintained close liaison with overseas law enforcement and intelligence agencies to ensure timely intelligence exchange and accurate situation assessment, and will continue to do so. The threat assessment grading of Hong Kong has ranged from low to moderate in the past three years and is currently rated as moderate.
Taking into account the threat assessment, security arrangements, particularly those at the HKIA and public transport systems, are regularly reviewed to ensure the safety and well-being of the people of Hong Kong. For example, following the "911" incident, the security measures at the HKIA have been comprehensively reviewed, with enhanced measures put in place, including strengthened control of access into the restricted areas, and enhanced screening of passengers and baggage. We will continue to keep the security arrangements at the HKIA under constant review in the light of the situation.
(b) The Aviation Security Company Limited (AVSECO), as the provider of aviation security services at the HKIA, conducts security screening of all departing and transfer passengers and their hand and checked baggage in compliance with requirements of the Hong Kong Aviation Security Programme (HKASP). AVSECO also conducts cargo screening at the HKIA in compliance with the HKASP.
The number of restricted articles detected by AVSECO from passengers and their hand and checked baggage and from cargo at the HKIA over the past three years are given in the table below:
2001 2002 2003(Jan-Nov)
---- ---- --------
No. of restricted 87 913 1 058 120 688 709
articles detected from
passengers and
their hand baggage
No. of restricted 504 1 183 698
articles detected from
passenger
checked baggage
No. of restricted 0 0 5
articles detected from
cargo
The majority of the restricted articles detected included bladed and pointed items, as well as cigarette lighters and compressed gases.
The dramatic increase in the number of restricted articles detected in 2002 is attributable to the tightening of restrictions on the carriage of bladed and pointed items as well as cigarette lighters into aircraft cabin following the "911" incident. As a result of an ongoing passenger education programme conducted by the Civil Aviation Department (CAD) and the Airport Authority, the number of restricted articles carried by passengers have been steadily declining in the past year.
(c) AVSECO conducts staff training programmes in accordance with the requirements of the HKASP. All security officers of AVSECO deployed on aviation security related duties at the HKIA have to undergo a four-day basic guarding course and a seven-day induction training course which provide training in basic aviation security procedures and operation of relevant equipment. Security officers who are selected for specialized duties are required to attend additional training courses. For example, officers selected to conduct x-ray screening attend x-ray screening courses and are trained on state-of-the-art computer-based training systems that allow detailed monitoring and assessment of operator performance. In addition, all security officers are required to attend one-day refresher training courses every six months, which update them on any emerging trends and threats to aviation security and changes in security procedures. In the case of x-ray operators, they must additionally attend a monthly re-certification test.
Apart from conducting training and re-certification programmes which comply with the requirements of the HKASP, AVSECO also operates quality assurance programmes under its ISO 9001:2000 accredited quality management system in order to assess general performance and improve professionalism. As part of the quality assurance programmes, internal security tests are conducted by authorized personnel who are provided with a range of inert weapons and simulated explosives, and briefed to conceal these items and attempt to evade detection when undergoing security checks. The test programme is designed to rigorously test the professionalism of security staff and the adequacy of security procedures and to identify areas of potential weakness. The majority of these tests are passed, and each internal security test failure is reviewed with the aim of identifying the cause of the test failure and developing remedial measures for improvement. In cases where failure is attributed to staff negligence, disciplinary action against the staff member involved may be considered. In any event, officers who fail in internal security tests will be removed from their normal duties and be required to undergo remedial training and re-certification to improve their operational performance prior to resuming aviation security duties.
The results of quality assurance programmes are closely monitored by AVSECO management and reported to the Airport Authority. In addition, these results are subject to review by the Airport Security Committee, which is held on a quarterly basis and attended by security representatives of all major airport operators. The Airport Authority and AVSECO also hold regular service review meetings to ensure that a high level of security standard is maintained at the HKIA.
Furthermore, CAD conducts tests, audits and inspections to ensure that the aviation security measures and training requirements stipulated in the HKASP are appropriately implemented by the Airport Authority and AVSECO, so that a continuing high standard of aviation security is maintained at the HKIA.
The standard of training and re-certification required under the HKASP and the quality assurance measures practised by the AVSECO at the HKIA compare favourably with most international airports and comply with and in some aspects exceed the security and quality assurance requirements of the International Civil Aviation Organisation.
Ends/Wednesday, December 17, 2003
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