HL Deb 06 May 1968 vol 291 cc1259-61

2.38 p.m.

LORD OGMORE

My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.

[The Question was as follows:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have made a decision on the safety requirements in the future in respect of the large trans-ocean aircraft and the airbus, whereby such aircraft will be obliged to carry liferafts on flights over water.]

LORD BESWICK

My Lords, liferafts sufficient to accommodate all persons on board are required by legislation to be carried on overwater flights by all British-registered public transport aircraft, when either more than 400 nautical miles or more than 90 minutes' flying time from the nearest aerodrome at which an emergency landing can be made. No changes in this legislation are foreseen.

LORD OGMORE

My Lords, I am grateful to the noble Lord for that Answer. May I ask him two questions arising out of it? First, does the report that consideration is being given to the relaxing of the provisions which the noble Lord has just read out refer to the Boeing 747? Secondly, should not the provisions, far from being relaxed, be tightened up, in view of the fact that we shall soon be having these monsters in the air carrying 500 to 800 passengers? What happens if they come down on the sea five or ten miles from the shore? Are the passengers to swim ashore?

LORD BESWICK

My Lords, I have seen suggestions that these requirements might be varied and that the operators or manufacturers might put forward some proposals. If these proposals are put forward by responsible bodies, of course they will be considered, but the arguments will have to be very convincing indeed for these requirements to be relaxed. The Government have no intention of reducing the safety factor.

As to the noble Lord's second question, one can see that with the introduction of aircraft carrying 500 to 800 passengers, a completely new factor is injected into this and it is possible to visualise a unique accident, something along the "Torrey Canyon" lines, which would arouse a good deal of feeling. I am sure that the noble Lord is right when he says that we have to bear in mind the need to improve rather than to relax safety standards.

LORD TREFGARNE

My Lords, is it not the case that the projected A.300 Anglo-European air-bus would be prohibited from flying more than 30 minutes' flying time from the shore? Can the noble Lord confirm that there is no likelihood of the relaxation of the regulations in respect of this aircraft?

LORD BESWICK

My Lords, the European air-bus would come under the regulations I have already indicated. I will not say there is no question—because apparently the question has been raised in some quarters—but so far as the Government are concerned there has been no decision at all to vary the regulations.

LORD TREFGARNE

My Lords, does the noble Lord mean that the Anglo-European air-bus will be allowed to fly 90 minutes' flying time or 400 miles from the shore even though it has only two engines?

LORD BESWICK

No, my Lords, the A.300, being a twin-engined aircraft, would come under the tighter performance requirement.

LORD OGMORE

My Lords, is the noble Lord aware that his answer, and still more his attitude, is very satisfactory?