§ 2.50 p.m.
§ Lord Trefgarneasked Her Majesty's Government:
What is the maximum wind strength which the Millennium Wheel (London Eye) has been designed to withstand (a) when stationary and (b) when in use.
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions (Lord Whitty)My Lords, the Millennium Wheel is designed to withstand a wind speed of 45 miles per hour/20 metres per second when it is in use. The Wheel will not be used at speeds above that. The maximum speed which it is designed to withstand when it is stationary is 94 miles per hour/42 metres per second.
§ Lord TrefgarneMy Lords, I am most grateful for that very helpful reply. However, is it not the case that there has been a good deal of disappointment about the condition of the Millennium Wheel and can the Minister now tell us when it is likely to go into full service?
§ Lord WhittyMy Lords, I cannot say precisely when that will be. The decision is clearly a matter for British Airways and the operating companies. As they have indicated, they are replacing the clutch system which was found to be faulty before the Millennium, and they will bring it into service as rapidly as possible. However, that is not a matter for government.
§ Baroness TrumpingtonMy Lords, if the Wheel gets stuck, is one meant to wait there for several days or is there a ladder long enough to get one off the top?
§ Lord WhittyMy Lords, the procedures that accompany the operation of the Wheel include an emergency exit. I fear that I am unable to explain to the House precisely how that operates, but both the technical advisers to the company and the Health and Safety Executive will insist that such emergency procedures exist.
§ Viscount FalklandMy Lords, will the noble Lord tell us approximately how long it will take for the Wheel, with or without assistance from the wind, to make a complete revolution when it is fully loaded?
§ Lord WhittyMy Lords, I believe that that is also probably an operational matter for the company concerned. It takes quite a long time—I should think of the order of half an hour. There are 32 carriages and it is quite a big wheel; therefore, I should say that it will take a fair amount of time.
§ Earl Baldwin of BewdleyMy Lords, bearing in mind the wind speeds, is 94 miles per hour really going to be enough, considering the recent storms in northern France?
§ Lord WhittyMy Lords, 94 miles per hour is the gust speed, and I am assured that that has only ever been reached once—at the time of the hurricane in 1987.
§ Lord AveburyMy Lords, will the Wheel have anemometers on the cars?—otherwise, bearing in 975 mind that wind speed is variable according to altitude, how will one know when 45 miles per hour has been reached?
§ Lord WhittyMy Lords, the 45 miles per hour speed relates to a certain height of 10 metres. Clearly, the wind speed may well be higher at a higher point. However, the structure is designed to withstand a wind speed of 45 miles per hour in motion and 94 miles per hour when stationary at that height. The structures conform with all the standards that have been promulgated by the health and safety authorities on all steel structures.
§ Baroness Gardner of ParkesMy Lords, is the Minister aware that many of us believe that this is a great visual asset to London?
§ Baroness Gardner of ParkesWell, my Lords, I certainly do. I believe that it is an additional landmark and I am very supportive of it. Will the Minister tell us whether thought is being given to the Wheel continuing there in the long term, rather than just in the short term?
§ Lord WhittyMy Lords, I concur completely with the noble Baroness in relation to the Wheel's visual impact. I believe that it is a magnificent addition to the Thames side and, indeed, to the view down Victoria Street. It sets off the rest of those historic buildings most effectively. Clearly, the case for its continuing operation is, in a sense, a matter for the company. However, I understand that the intention is that it will operate for at least five years, and that it is capable of lasting longer.
§ Lord TrefgarneMy Lords, in view of the possible mishaps to which the noble Lord has alluded, can the Minister say whether the liability of British Airways to its potential passengers is unlimited or whether it is restricted by some international convention?
§ Lord WhittyMy Lords, I believe that that is very much a matter for British Airways, which, I am sure, has covered itself adequately in relation to insurance, as it has done on all safety issues. The Wheel is not an aeroplane and, therefore, so far as I am concerned, is not covered by international conventions.