§ Baroness Wilcoxasked Her Majesty's Government:
What were the main findings of the recent Civil Aviation Authority and Joint Aviation Authorities research into the minimum seat space required for each airline passenger; and whether those findings will, as recommended by the Science and Technology Committee in the 5th Report for Session 1999–2000 on Air Travel and Health, be used to develop an unambiguous set of definitions of aircraft seat sizes so that intending passengers can make an informed decision about the space they are purchasing. [HL3580]
§ Lord Falconer of ThorotonThis research was carried out by ICE Ergonomics Ltd on behalf of the Joint Aviation Authorities under funding from the UK Civil Aviation Authority and was aimed principally at harmonising European standards on the safety issues associated with seating. The main finding suggested that a minimum seat spacing of 29.4 inches is needed to accommodate the 99th percentile of passenger by body size, allowing 1 inch of knee clearance to the back of the seat in front. The report also recommended that in order to guarantee sufficient seated space a minimum foot clearance envelope is needed. These results were based on software modelling using anthropometric data and the research recommends passenger trials to validate the findings.
In parallel with this, the UK's Aviation Health Working Group has prepared definitions of aircraft seat dimensions covering leg, elbow and hip room. It is intended that these will shortly be agreed with representatives from industy and consumer groups before being circulated to airlines and other interested parties.
§ Baroness Wilcoxasked Her Majesty's Government:
What steps they have taken (a) to promulgate their November 2001 advice to intending air travellers on action to help prevent deep vein thrombosis; and (b) to monitor ways that others further promulgate that advice; and, in particular, what arrangements they have made with airlines about active publicity to passengers in both economy and other classes at the time of booking, at check-in, on take-off and in flight. [HL3581]
§ Lord Falconer of ThorotonThe advice produced by the Government in November 2001 has been made126WA available to the public through NHS Direct, the Internet, the airlines and health services. Advice on deep vein thrombosis and travel is also widely available to the public in the Department of Health's Health advice for Travellers booklet.
The Government have not been prescriptive about how the airlines should present this material to passengers. We have however continued to monitor the use the airlines have made of this advice and are satisfied that they are providing good quality information in a variety of formats, including leaflets, in flight magazines, announcements and videos. The British Air Transport Association has stated that all UK long haul carriers, both charter and scheduled, provide passengers with advice on health before and during the flight.
§ Baroness Wilcoxasked Her Majesty's Government:
How many passengers they estimate are carried annually on United Kingdom-registered aircraft that have re-circulatory ventilation systems incorporating less than the highest available standard of high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filtration; and what action they propose to take to reduce this number to zero. [HL3582]
§ Lord Falconer of ThorotonAll UK registered long haul aircraft have HEPA standard filters fitted. On short haul routes some aircraft types cannot be fitted with HEPA filters or do not re-circulate air and therefore do not require filters. Nevertheless we understand that the majority of UK registered aircraft operating international short haul flights are fitted with HEPA filters.
It would be difficult to produce reliable estimates in terms of passengers carried.