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8 Oct 2007 : Column 78W—continued
AADF data are currently available from our website: www.dft.gov.uk/matrix/ for 1999-2005.
Aircraft: Air Conditioning
Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many reported contaminated air events there were in each of the last five years, broken down by aircraft type. [154090]
Jim Fitzpatrick: I am informed by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) there have been 306 reportable occurrences involving contaminated air during the five year period from 1 January 2002 to 31 December 2006, and a further 72 reportable occurrences between 1 January and 30 June 2007—shown as follows:
| Reportable occurrences | |
This number of occurrences is out of an estimated total of 6.5 million flights over the same period by UK operators worldwide in public transport aeroplane operations. These annual totals are broken down by aircraft type in the following tables, specifically listing all aircraft types for which there were five or more reportable occurrences during that period.
| Calendar year 2002 | |
| Aircraft type | Reportable occurrences involving contaminated air |
| Note: During the same period, there were 1.1 million flights carried out by UK operators worldwide in public transport aeroplane operations. | |
| Calendar year 2003 | |
| Aircraft type | Reportable occurrences involving contaminated air |
| Note: During the same period, there were 1.1 million flights carried out by UK operators worldwide in public transport aeroplane operations. | |
| Calendar year 2004 | |
| Aircraft type | Reportable occurrences involving contaminated air |
| Note: During the same period, there were 1.2 million flights carried out by UK operators worldwide in public transport aeroplane operations. | |
| Calendar year 2005 | |
| Aircraft type | Reportable occurrences involving contaminated air |
| Note: During the same period, there were 1.2 million flights carried out by UK operators worldwide in public transport aeroplane operations. | |
| Calendar year 2006 | |
| Aircraft type | Reportable occurrences involving contaminated air |
| Note: During the same period, there were 1.3 million flights carried out by UK operators worldwide in public transport aeroplane operations. | |
| 1 January to 30 June 2007 inclusive | |
| Aircraft type | Reportable occurrences involving contaminated air |
| Note: Estimate 0.6 million flights by UK operators worldwide in public transport aeroplane operations. | |
Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what research she has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on links between ill-health among air crew and fumes released from aircraft. [154325]
Jim Fitzpatrick: In 2006 the Department commissioned the independent Committee on Toxicity (COT) to evaluate evidence submitted by the British Air Lines Pilots Association (BALPA) in relation to cabin air “fume events”. The COT received information from oil companies, airlines, engine manufacturers, independent scientific experts and pressure groups. The COT reported on 20 September 2007. Its report is published on its website:
The Committee on Toxicity considered that it was not possible to conclude whether cabin air exposures (either general or following incidents) cause ill-health in commercial aircraft crews. It recommended further work, in particular, and as a priority, to ascertain whether substances in the cabin environment could potentially be harmful to health. COT considered that this work should be designed to detect any potentially harmful substances, rather than focus on named substances.
In keeping with its commitment to promoting healthy flying, the Department accepts this priority. Through the Aviation Health Working Group, it has recently made preparations for such a study by testing equipment which may be capable of capturing substances released during oil and hydraulic fluid fume incidents. Once effective equipment has been identified it is intended to sample around 1,000 flights using more than one sampling device, more than one laboratory to analyse the results, and an independent project manager from the academic world.
Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how compliance with Civil Aviation Authority guidance on the use of oxygen masks in air contamination incidents is monitored and enforced. [154324]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has advised that UK air operators whose aircraft are required to be fitted with oxygen equipment must provide guidance to crews on its use in air contamination incidents. This guidance must be retained in their Operations Manual which is checked in the course of normal oversight by the Flight Operations Inspector.
Compliance with the guidance in the event of incidents will be monitored by routine review of Air Safety Reports and Mandatory Occurrence reports. Non-compliance would be raised formally with the aircraft operator, who would be required to propose and implement measures to ensure future compliance.
Airports: Police
Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the outcome was of the review of those airports which are not designated for police purposes; and if she will list those airports where the police presence continues to be funded by the local police authority. [155805]
Jim Fitzpatrick:
The Independent Review of Airport Policing report was submitted to the Department for Transport and Home Office in July 2006. In his written statement of 20 July 2006, Official Report, column
56WS, the Secretary of State welcomed the broad thrust of the review and outlined its key recommendations. His written statement of 14 June 2007, Official Report, column 63WS, provided an update on the subsequent work.
The funding arrangements for airports are dependent on whether an airport is designated under section 25 of the Aviation Security Act 1982. There are nine designated airports which are London Heathrow, London Gatwick, Stansted, Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow International, Glasgow Prestwick, Birmingham and Manchester. All remaining airports are funded wholly or partly by the local police authority, or by other means, for example voluntary contributions by the airport operator.
Airports: Security
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many security staff have been employed checking departing passengers at (a) Heathrow, (b) Gatwick and (c) Stansted in each of the last 12 months; and how many departing passengers have been checked during that period. [156323]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The UK National Aviation Security Programme requires airports to comply with specific security measures which are subject to regular inspection by the Department for Transport to ensure that standards are adhered to. The programme does not mandate the number of security personnel required to undertake security tasks. As private businesses, decisions about staffing are rightly a matter for the airports themselves. All departing passengers and their baggage are all subject to security screening at UK airports.
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many items and what tonnage of material have been confiscated from departing passengers as a result of security checks at (a) Heathrow, (b) Gatwick and (c) Stansted in each of the last 12 months. [156324]
Jim Fitzpatrick: Government do not maintain records as the management of this process and disposal of the items are a matter for airports.
Aviation: Standards
Mr. Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment she has made of (a) the extent of overbooking in the airline industry and (b) the associated levels of risk to passengers of not being allowed to travel on their pre-booked flight. [156656]
Jim Fitzpatrick:
Overbooking is a common practice among airlines and provides for the more efficient use of aircraft, for example where passengers have failed to check in for flights for which they have purchased tickets. The Government do not believe that denied boarding is a widespread problem, based on the relatively small number of complaints on this issue received by the Air Transport Users Council. In the event a passenger is denied boarding, Regulation (EC) 261/2004 sets minimum levels of financial
compensation, and requires passengers to be offered a choice between re-routing and reimbursement.
Mr. Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps she is taking to ensure that all airline passengers are made aware of the risk of not being allowed to travel on their pre-booked flight due to overbooking at the time of purchasing tickets; and if she will make a statement. [156657]
Jim Fitzpatrick: It is common practice for airlines' terms and conditions of carriage to include a reference to the possibility of denied boarding and the action they will take to compensate passengers who are inconvenienced in this way. In addition, the website of the Air Transport Users Council includes advice on this issue. The Government do not believe the extent of the problem is such that further action is necessary to highlight this risk to passengers.
Bull Bars: Regulation
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what rules apply to the use of bull bars on cars in the UK. [155961]
Jim Fitzpatrick: Since 25 May 2007, the requirements of EC Directive 2005/66/EC, concerning bull bars, apply to all new cars being registered under the type approval scheme. Similarly, all bull bars offered for sale as an accessory must be approved and carry an approval mark.
Bull bars fitted before this date are subject to the general safety requirements of the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986.
Bus Services
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many local authorities run night bus schemes; and if she will make a statement. [154764]
Ms Rosie Winterton: Local authorities, apart from Transport for London, do not run bus schemes. Operators outside London may wish to run buses during the night and they register these routes with the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA).
Exact information on the number of schemes is not available without incurring disproportionate costs.
Susan Kramer: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what projected central Government expenditure is per head of population for local public transport for (a) London, (b) each of the English passenger transport executive areas and (c) each of the English regions in each of the next 10 years; and what such expenditure was in each year since 2001-02. [154804]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses include figures for the Department for Transport’s expenditure per head of population for local public transport in London and the other English regions. Planned figures are available at this level of disaggregation for 2007-08 but not beyond. Regional figures have not been split down to the passenger transport executive areas.
The following table shows the DFT spend on local public transport per head of population in each English region, including London, for each year from 2001-02 to 2007-08. It includes direct payments from central Government to bus operators, but not financial support for local authorities (including bus services) or funding for heavy rail services. These are both reported elsewhere in the Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses, which are published at:
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