Airport security set to change

ment, adding she was “disappointed” this week’s offer was not put to EIS members.

Speaking ahead of the action, EIS general secretary Andrea Bradley said: “Such a pathetic, divisive offer will never be acceptable to the EIS or to Scotland’s teachers, and Scotland’s teachers will be out in force today – on picket lines outside schools and at pay campaign rallies across Scotland – to demonstrate clearly their outrage and their determination to secure a much-improved, genuinely fair pay settlement from (local government body) Cosla and the Scottish Government.”

Scottish Conservative education spokesman Stephen Kerr said children are “paying the price today for Shirley-Anne Somerville’s negligent leadership”, and he urged her to “pull out all the stops” to get a deal over the line.

“The EIS rejected a pay offer in September, yet the SNP’s Education Secretary waited until the last possible moment this week to come back with a revised deal, which the union immediately rejected,” he said.

“Our young people have already suffered enough disruption to their learning as a result of the Covid pandemic and missing out on more classroom time is the last thing they needed.

“Shirley-Anne Somerville has been missing in action and even when she did finally appear in Parliament to answer questions, she embarrassingly attempted to deflect the blame elsewhere.”

RESTRICTIONS on liquids and laptops in hand luggage could reportedly be removed within two years due to the rollout of new 3D scanners.

Since November 2006, passengers taking liquid in their cabin luggage have been restricted to clear plastic bags holding no more than 100ml, which must be shown to security staff.

But The Times reports ministers have been reviewing a trial at Heathrow Airport, which began in 2017, of 3D scanners already in use at US airports that allow staff to zoom in on a bag’s contents and rotate the images for inspection.

The Times said those failing to remove items from their bags or travelling with large bottles of liquids is the biggest cause of delays at airport security.

Boris Johnson announced plans while Prime Minister in 2019 for all major UK airports to introduce new 3D cabin baggage screening equipment.

The equipment was to be rolled out over the next several years, with the Department for Transport requiring all major UK airports to have the technology by December 1 2022.

But that deadline was affected by the pandemic, with passenger numbers dented due to travel restrictions.