The Times - UK (2022-04-13)

the times | Wednesday April 13 2022 19

News

A veteran quizzer has been named the
oldest female BBC Mastermind
champion, triumphing at the age of 66
Alice Walker won by six points in the
final, scoring full marks on questions
about her specialist subject, the Peak
District. She was inspired to pick the
national park after learning about the
area on long walks with her dog.
Walker, now 67, achieved the highest
score of the series, finishing with a total

riously in the early Eighties when she

joined the Macclesfield quiz league.

She had taken part in BBC’s Eggheads,

The Chase on ITV and the Channel 4

quiz show Fifteen to One before going on

Security vetting for new recruits in the
aviation sector will be prioritised in a
last-ditch attempt to avert summer air-
port chaos, the Cabinet Office said.
Applicants for a counterterror check,
needed for an “airside” airport pass, will
be “expedited up the pipeline” by the
UK Security Vetting (UKSV), the
department responsible for checks,
sources told The Times.
The move is designed to ease the
staffing problems at UK airports, which
have been clogged by queues of up to
three hours at security checkpoints.
Airlines and airports have blamed
vetting delays for slowing their recruit-
ment processes, a claim government
sources deny. They insist that checks
are being carried out within 28 days,
which are “usual timeframes”.
It is understood that UKSV will now
aim to process aviation applications
10 per cent faster, in an attempt to avoid
hold-ups for millions of travellers.
“We will prioritise them to help stop
the issues we have seen in recent
weeks,” a source said.
A counterterror check is required for
most airside workers, who include
security staff, baggage screeners and
staff boarding planes.
The decision came as Johan Lund-

gren, the chief executive of easyJet, said

the airline was waiting for the govern-

ment to clear about 100 new members

of staff to start work.

Lundgren said there was a three-

week delay on approvals, a figure that

government sources said they “did not

recognise”. The airline later clarified

that none of its recent flight cancella-

tions had been caused by vetting delays.

A Cabinet Office spokesman said:

“There are absolutely no delays to

security vetting of applicants. It is

wrong to suggest otherwise and we are

prioritising vetting applications from

the aviation industry.”

Airports and airlines have started

huge recruitment drives in recent

months as they prepared for a surge in

the number of passengers travelling in

the wake of the pandemic.

Recruitment, however, has been

hampered by an “extremely tight”

labour market while businesses are also

grappling with a huge surge in the num-

ber of Covid-related absences.

British Airways and easyJet have

Starter’s orders These riders will have their eyes on the finish when they meet in the Markel Magnolia Cup, in aid of The Prince’s Trust Brilliant Breakfast, on Ladies’ Day at the Qatar Goodwood Festival in July

VICTORIA ADAMSON/GOODWOOD RACECOURSE

Security boost to beat airport chaos

cancelled hundreds of flights in recent

weeks as they grapple with staffing

shortages.

Heathrow, which is hiring 12,

people, said that “too much of the pro-

cess relies on manual checks which

could be automated” as it called on

ministers to cut red tape to speed up the

recruitment of staff.

The airport said that delays in vetting

meant that “strong candidates often

take up jobs in other sectors” while

waiting for their passes.

The Cabinet Office said last night

that 70 per cent of aviation applications

to UKSV required only an accredita-

tion check, which takes less than a week

to clear, although it is not these roles

that are responsible for the delays

passengers are facing.

A government spokesperson said:

“The aviation industry is responsible

for resourcing at airports and for air-

lines and they manage their staff absen-

ces. We do not want to see any disrup-

tion for passengers and we are working

with industry on the issues being faced

in order to minimise any disruption as

much as possible.

“It is paramount that aviation staff

are properly vetted and while we con-

tinue to process security clearances as

quickly as possible, we will not, and

people would not expect us to, put the

safety of the public at risk.”

Ben Clatworthy
Transport Correspondent

Q&A

What is the latest on

cancellations?

EasyJet axed another 32

flights yesterday but said

that all passengers had

been given prior warning.

British Airways said that it

had reduced its services by

50 as both airlines grappled

with high rates of absence.

EasyJet said that crew

sickness had reached

20 per cent at some bases.

What about queues?

Airports are struggling with

queues at check-in and

security with the highest

numbers since the

pandemic expected to pass

through terminals in the

coming days. Manchester

has been the worst affected

but there have also been

queues at Heathrow,

Gatwick, Stansted, Bristol

and East Midlands.

What should I do if I am

due to fly?

Arrive three hours before

your flight departs is the

advice. Airport bosses urge

people not to arrive earlier.

What happens if my flight

is cancelled?

The airline must offer you

the choice of a refund,

rerouting or rebooking,

including with other

carriers, or the opportunity

to move your departure

date. If your short-haul

flight — the most affected

type — is cancelled with less

than 14 days’ notice you

may be due compensation

of up to £220. Whether you

are entitled depends on

factors including if the

airline can get you to your

destination at a similar time.

For example, if you are

travelling on a short-haul

flight and arrive more than

two hours later you may be

able to claim compensation

of £220 (for less than two

hours, the figure is £110).

What if I miss my flight as I

am stuck in a queue?

There is no automatic

entitlement to rebooking or

a refund. The best advice is

to arrive early and, should

you be stuck in a security

queue approaching

boarding time, ask staff if

you can be moved to the

front of the line. Should you

miss your flight, explain the

situation to the airline as

they may be sympathetic.

Should I cancel my

holiday?

No. There is little merit in

cancelling your trip as your

insurance will not cover

“disinclination to travel”.

Arrive at the airport at the

earliest time your airline

advises. If checking in

luggage be aware that there

may be queues.

Dog walking leads oldest female champion to Mastermind victory

Peter Chappell of 33. Her win marks the 50th annivers-
ary of the show. The previous oldest
female winner was Isabelle Heward,
who took the title at the age of 61 in 2017
on her fourth attempt.
Walker, a retired IT consultant from
Derbyshire, admitted that she “didn’t
prepare” for the general knowledge
round. “You can literally be asked
anything. I do quite a lot of quizzes all
the time anyway so I am in the zone of
answering quiz questions,” she said. “I
live on the edge of the Peak District, it is

an area I visit quite a lot because I like

walking. I just thought it would make an

interesting subject because there is

quite a variety to know about it, as well

as the geographical aspect, there is a lot

of history and geology.”

In the final episode the Poynton Jem-

mers Northwest Morris dancers per-

formed to cheer on Walker, who has

been dancing with the group for more

than 40 years.

Walker said she had “loved quizzes”

since a young age and began taking it se-

Mastermind. “The Chase was an absolute

disaster from start to finish, it was just

really bad but it didn’t put me off from

competing in Mastermind,” she said.

Last year Jonathan Gibson, a PhD

student from Glasgow, became at 24 the

youngest person to win the show.

Walker’s other specialist subjects

were Rodgers and Hammerstein

musicals and the British photographer

Julia Margaret Cameron in the semi-fi-

nal, in which she also received a perfect

score.

Alice Walker’s time

in the Peak District

served her well