MPs: Bring back risk assessments at borders

By Ian Dunt

The risk-based assessments of border security which nearly lost Theresa May her job should be reintroduced, an influential committee of MPs said today.

The home affairs committee recommended Border Force staff should alter the extent of their security checks on the basis of a risk assessment of passengers to control waiting times at Heathrow and other airports.

"The Home Office must immediately reinstate the risk based pilot for entry checks that was abandoned by the home secretary last November," chairman Keith Vaz said.

The decision by UK Border Agency staff to implement the pilot risk-assessment scheme without full ministerial approval nearly lost May her job last year, but research showed it was very successful.

While there were signs waiting times would be kept down during the Olympics, the status quo at entry ports still involves a hellish wait for passengers arriving in the UK.

Monthly maximum queue times nationwide have been between one hour and 55 minutes and two hours and 55 minutes since June 2011.

The committee also a full reappraisal of the number of Border Force staff needed across the UK.