§ Mrs. DunwoodyTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his answer of 27 November,Official Report, column 265, what is the estimated time delay between an incident in mid-channel tunnel and the arrival of firefighting teams during the night. [7663]
§ Mr. WattsDuring normal operations, firefighting teams are usually based at night in the fire equipment management centres at either end of the tunnel. The maximum estimated attendance time for teams to reach the middle of the tunnel from the FEMCs is about 20 minutes. Under the current temporary arrangements, Eurotunnel has assured the Channel Tunnel Safety802W Authority that firefighting teams will maintain a permanent 24-hour presence in the service tunnel while the damaged section of the southern tunnel is repaired.
§ Mrs. DunwoodyTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his answer of 27 November,Official Report,column 265, what inspections have been undertaken by the Channel Tunnel Safety Authority since the tunnel became operational. [7662]
§ Mr. WattsNumerous regular inspections have been undertaken both by members of the Channel Tunnel Safety Authority and by inspectors from national authorities.
§ Mrs. DunwoodyTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the members of the Channel Tunnel Safety Authority, together with the organisations that they represent. [7651]
§ Mr. WattsThere are 10 full members of the Channel Tunnel Safety Authority. They are
Roger Lejuez (current chairman of the Safety Authority), Inspecteur Général des Transports et des Travaux Publics, Ministère des Transports; Claude Charmeil, Ingénieur Général des Ponts et Chausées, Ministère des Transports; Pierre Desfray, Ingénieur Divisionnaire des Travaux Publics de l'Etat, Ministère des Transports; François Barthélémy, Chef de la Mission du Transport des Matières Dangéreuses, Ministère des Transports; and Jean-Pascal Cogez, Sous-Préfet du Pas-de-Calais.Edward Ryder CB (current head of the UK delegation), formerly HM chief inspector of nuclear installations, Health and Safety Executive; Peter Moss, head of channel tunnel division. Department of Transport; Sandra Caldwell, head of division A—safety policy directorate, Health and Safety Executive; Jeremy Beech CBE, QFSM, chief fire officer of Kent; and Victor Coleman, deputy chief inspector of railways, HM railway inspectorate, Health and Safety Executive.
§ Mrs. DunwoodyTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport if the Kent fire brigade took part in the safety evacuation exercise carried out by Eurotunnel on Sunday 1 December. [7666]
§ Mrs. DunwoodyTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport in what circumstances decisions taken by the Channel Tunnel Safety Authority can be vetoed by individual members. [7652]
§ Mr. WattsDecisions by the Channel Tunnel Safety Authority are taken by agreement between the UK and French delegations. There is no power to veto by individual members.
§ Mrs. DunwoodyTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will place in the Library the minutes of the last three meetings of the Channel Tunnel Safety Authority. [7650]
§ Mr. WattsThe Anglo-French Channel Tunnel Safety Authority does not publish the minutes of its meetings. A summary of the safety authority's proceedings is published in the annual reports of the Channel Tunnel Safety Authority, which are placed in the Library of the House.
§ Mrs. DunwoodyTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) pursuant to his answer of 27 November,Official Report, columns 264–66, if he will place in the 803W Library the inspection reports on the maintenance checks undertaken on the decoupling device involved in the fire on 18 November; [7661]
- (2) pursuant to his answer of 27 November, Official Report, columns 264–66, if he will place in the Library copies of all incident reports not yet in the public domain; [7646]
- (3) if he will make public the findings of safety checks conducted by Eurotunnel; [7667]
- (4) pursuant to his answer of 27 November, Official Report, columns 264–66, what factors preclude him from placing in the Library correspondence between Eurotunnel and the Channel Tunnel Safety Authority relating to the design of wagons; [7664]
- (5) what independent research was conducted by the Fire Research Station on the safe design of the channel tunnel; and if he will place copies in the Library. [7653]
§ Mr. WattsThis is precluded under the terms of the channel fixed-link concession agreement dated 14 March 1986, which states
Each of the parties hereto and the Intergovernmental Commission and the Safety Authority shall hold in confidence all Documents and other information whether technical or commercial supplied to them by or on behalf of any other party hereto relating to the Fixed Link and shall not save as required by law or procedural practices publish or otherwise disclose the same otherwise than for the purposes contemplated by this Agreement.
§ Mrs. DunwoodyTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many representatives from(a) his Department, (b) the Health and Safety executive and (c) the Channel Tunnel Safety Authority attended the recent evacuation exercise staged by Eurotunnel; and if he will list the independent observers attending the exercise. [7648]
§ Mr. WattsTwo representatives from the Department of Transport, three representatives from the Health and Safety Executive and three from the Channel Tunnel safety Authority attended the evacuation exercise staged by Eurotunnel on 1 December 1996. Representatives from Kent fire brigade, Kent county constabulary and Her Majesty's fire inspectorate were also present.
§ Mr. SkinnerTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what consultations there have been between the Channel Tunnel Safety Authority and people with experience in fighting fires in coal mines with particular reference to those familiar with the foam plug technique. [7462]
§ Mr. WattsThe Channel Tunnel Safety Authority is able to obtain information and advice from a number of sources, including the Health and Safety executive and Kent fire brigade.