§ Lord Balfour of InchryeMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question standing in my name on the Order Paper.
§ The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government whether recommendations of the official inquiry into the Lands End—Scilly helicopter crash in July 1983 have been fully implemented for all helicopter operations over land and sea, both as regards improved safety procedures and supply of certain further equipment.
§ Viscount DavidsonMy Lords, eight safety recommendations were made following the investigation into the crash of a British Airways helicopter near the Isles of Scilly in July 1983. The Civil Aviation Authority, which is statutorily responsible for aviation safety, informs me that six recommendations are to be implemented fully, and one other in part. An eighth, covering pilots' lifejackets and personal locator beacons, is the subject both of a research programme and of discussions between the CAA and the authorities in government responsible for search and rescue.
§ Lord Balfour of InchryeMy Lords, I thank the Minister for that reply. Would the Minister agree that there can be wide differences between recommendation and implementation, and that there are still certain outstanding items recommended in the report, which so far it has not been possible to implement, that affect the safety of the personnel concerned? I know that some of these points require engineering knowledge; and there is also need for time to develop and conduct experiments. Even so, can we be assured 2 that this is all being attended to? I wish to draw attention particularly to those matters affecting the safety of personnel who should have lifejackets which enable them to be independent whatever the weather and free to move about in the aircraft. If I put down a Written Question in about three months' time, will the Minister be able to give a report on progress on these matters?
§ Viscount DavidsonMy Lords, I assure my noble friend that everything is being done to implement fully all the recommendations. Any outstanding delay is due either to technical problems, to which he has referred, or to the need to get international agreement on some of the items, or to both. Certainly, if my noble friend would like to put down a Question—I would suggest in six months' time rather than three—we would be in a better position to keep him fully in touch with what is going on.
§ Lord UnderhillMy Lords, is the Minister aware that his reply seemed to be thoroughly satisfactory? However, did I hear the Minister say that one of the recommendations is not being implemented? If so, which is it, and is there any particular reason for that?
§ Viscount DavidsonMy Lords, the one that is not yet being implemented is the subject of a research programme and covers pilots' lifejackets and personal locator beacons. These matters are being looked into, and I hope very much that within a few months the problems will be resolved.