§ Mr. David MarshallTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what assessment he has made of the occasions on which the final approach separations used when there is no additional wake vortex separation requirement for Heathrow are less than the legal minima; and if he will make a statement;
(2) what were the reasons for the decision by the Civil Aviation Authority to authorise air traffic controllers employed by National Air Traffic Services who are qualified commercial pilots to undertake commercial AOC flying activities during their off-duty rest days; and if he will make a statement;
(3) what is the purpose of the National Air Traffic Services Safety Regulation Group interface document; and if he will place a copy in the Library;
(4) if the air traffic control separation monitoring function at London air traffic control centre, can respond to aircraft final approach separations applied by controllers at the Heathrow approach radar facility; what plans there are to re-programme the separation monitoring function; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Norris[holding answer 30 March 1994]: As these four questions all concern matters which are within the responsibility of the CAA, I am asking the chairman of the CAA to write to the hon. Member.
§ Mr. David MarshallTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will call for, and publish, a report from the Civil Aviation Authority as to its view on the research by Dr. E. J. Trimble, the Principal Inspector of Accidents, on the management of aviation passenger survival in situations of aviation fire; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Norris[holding answer 30 March 1994]: the responsibility for the safety regulation of United Kingdom civil aviation, including the provision of passenger safety equipment, rests with the Civil Aviation Authority.
The authority published its view on passenger survival in situations of aviation fire in CAP 586, "Improving Passenger Survivability in Aircraft Fires: A Review". The authority's position on the issue of smokehoods, which is the main issue addressed by Dr. Trimble in his private research, was last published in the civil aviation publication CAP 594. I do not have any plans to call upon the authority to publish a direct response to the research in question from Dr. Trimble. However, I shall bring the hon. Member's question to the attention of the authority and ask it to write to him direct to explain its position regarding the conclusions reached by Dr. Trimble.