§ 11.23 a.m.
§ Lord Blyth asked Her Majesty's Government:
§ Whether they intend to make third party insurance compulsory for helicopters and their pilots.
§ Lord StrathclydeMy Lords, my right honourable friend has been considering the whole question of compulsory third party insurance for aircraft registered in the UK and will shortly be asking the Civil Aviation Authority to advise him on the form a scheme might take.
§ Lord BlythMy Lords, I thank the Minister for that reply. Will this consideration include microlight aircraft?
§ Lord StrathclydeMy Lords, I can see to it that the Civil Aviation Authority is asked to look at the question of microlights.
§ Lord Boyd-CarpenterMy Lords, does my noble friend accept that it is slightly ludicrous that one should have compulsory third party insurance on a motor car but not at present on a helicopter?
§ Lord StrathclydeMy Lords, it arises from a historical anomaly. Helicopters that carry fee-paying passengers must have insurance, but not private helicopters. It is only in fairly recent years that people have been able to own private helicopters.
§ Lord UnderhillMy Lords, can the Minister inform us how quickly the inquiry will be conducted? Can he assure us that it will not take a period of years? I have in mind the increasing number of helicopter and light aircraft incidents.
§ Lord StrathclydeMy Lords, I hope that we shall receive a reply from the CAA within six months.
§ Lord John-MackieMy Lords, what is the position in agriculture if a helicopter pilot makes a mistake while spraying and sprays a neighbour's field?
§ Lord StrathclydeMy Lords, contractors who do spraying would normally carry insurance against such an event arising.