Brown says intelligence sharing is key

Prime Minister Gordon Brown is making good on his promise to tighten security at UK airports in the wake of the botched Christmas Day terror attack over the skies of Detroit.

Outlining measures for improved aviation and border security in Parliament, the Labour leader told MPs that the government will introduce “special measures” to heighten security.

These measures will include the introduction of a new no-fly list for individuals deemed to be a high risk, along with an extra layer of security checks for lower risk travellers.

Airport security has been under scrutiny since the failed Detroit terror attack, in which a Nigerian man managed to smuggle explosives through Amsterdam Schiphol Airport.

That blunder inevitably raised questions about how the suspect – who was already known to intelligence agencies on both sides of the Atlantic – succeeded in boarding a plane with explosives.

Addressing those concerns, Mr Brown is now pledging a renewed focus on intelligence sharing.

“It is because we fully recognise the global nature of the terrorist threat we face today that our response must be truly global,” the Prime Minister told members of Parliament.

Promising closer cooperation between G8 member nations, he said: “Some of the intelligence we need to protect our people against attacks will be here in Britain, some will be held by our international partners and passed to us, just as we help them with information about the threats they face.”

Britain has also committed to rolling out full-body scanners at all international UK airports, though officials in Ireland say they have no plans to introduce the technology.

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