§ Mr. Simon HughesTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many(a) crashes and (b) reported near misses have occurred for each year since 1960 in which aircraft carrying radioactive material have been involved; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. McLoughlinAvailable information commences in 1964. There have been three crashes involving consignments of radioactive materials from the United Kingdom, none of which was caused by the nature of the radioactive cargo:
- (i) In 1965 a Boeing 707 crashed and burned at Heathrow. The package remained intact and there was no release of radioactivity.
265 - (ii) In 1979 an aircraft crashed and burned at Athens airport. There was a partial release of package contents. Radiological implications were minimal and confined to the area around the aircraft.
- (iii) In 1987 a Piper Navajo crashed in a field near Teesside after engine failure. There was no reported fire and the packages remained intact.
My Department does not collect data on near misses. I understand from the Civil Aviation Authority that data on near misses do not include detailed information on the type of cargo carried.
§ Mr. Simon HughesTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport how may aeroplane flights occurred in 1989 in United Kingdom airspace in which radioactive material was carried; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. McLoughlinThe Department does not collect data of the kind requested; however, I understand from recent research that there are around 8,000 such flights per year.