APPENDIX 3: CALL FOR EVIDENCE
In 2000 the House of Lords Science and Technology
Committee published its report Air Travel and Health. The Committee
has now decided to undertake a short follow-up inquiry, to be
chaired by Lord Broers, to review progress in implementing its
recommendations. The Committee therefore invites evidence on the
health effects of air travel, with particular emphasis on any
relevant new evidence that has emerged since 2000, and on the
extent to which Government, regulators and the airline industry
have kept pace with such evidence.
In particular, the Committee invites evidence on
the following questions:
- What progress has been made in
research into the priority areas identified by the Committee in
2000? Do gaps remain in the evidence base, and, if so, are they
being filled?
- Have any new health concerns emerged since 2000,
and what is being done to address them? For example:
- Are steps being taken to address concerns over
the role of air travel in the spread of diseases such as SARS
or pandemic influenza?
- Has new evidence invalidated any
of the recommendations made by the Committee in 2000?
- How effective has the inter-departmental Aviation
Health Working Group been in taking forward the Committee's recommendations?
How are the arrangements for governance and regulation of the
industry working?
- How successful have the Government been in raising
international awareness of passenger and crew health, and in improving
international collaboration?
- What progress has the airline industry itself
made since 2000? For example:
- To what extent has the aircraft cabin environment
improved?
- Are aircraft better equipped, and aircrew better
trained, to respond to in-flight medical emergencies?
- To what extent has the information
supplied to travellers been improved and integrated since 2000?
As in the original inquiry, the Committee will not
be considering general air safety and the impact of air travel
on the wider environment.
|
