USB forces airport review

People across Scotland are to have a say in how £100 million of council funds will be used in their communities.

Council leaders have agreed that at least 1 per cent of local government budgets will be subject to “participatory budgeting” by the end of 2021. The process allows communities to make decisions on how funding is spent in their localities.

Local Government Minister Kevin Stewart said: “This is a clear way of bringing democracy to local communities by giving people a direct voice in spending decisions.

“Through the Community Choices Fund, the Scottish Government has already invested £4.7m in participatory budgeting activity by supporting public authorities and communities across Scotland.

“Last year, the fund helped over 39,000 people to have a say on spending in their local area.” An investigation has been launched at Heathrow Airport after a memory stick reportedly containing confidential security information was found in the street.

The USB stick, which was not encrypted and had 2.5GB of data, was discovered by a member of the public in Ilbert Street in Queen’s Park, west London, and handed to the Sunday Mirror.

It reportedly contained files revealing information such as security measures used to protect the Queen at the airport, the types of ID needed to access restricted areas and the locations of CCTV cameras and tunnels linked to the Heathrow Express.

An airport spokeswoman said that security plans had been reviewed in light of the incident.

She said: “Heathrow’s top priority is the safety and security of our passengers and colleagues. The UK and Heathrow have some of the most robust aviation security measures in the world and we remain vigilant to evolving threats by updating our procedures on a daily basis.

“We have reviewed all of our security plans and are confident that Heathrow remains secure.”