HC Deb 27 November 1996 vol 286 cc264-6W
Mrs. Dunwoody

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if containers or vehicles carrying nuclear materials are transported on freight trains within the channel tunnel. [5933]

Mr. Watts

No materials for the nuclear fuel cycle, including reprocessed fuels, or materials for weapons production, are permitted through the channel tunnel.

Mrs. Dunwoody

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list all incidents requiring the attendance of either the Kent or French fire brigades since public services began in the channel tunnel. [5936]

Mr. Watts

Eurotunnel's first line of response teams, which on the UK side include members of Kent fire brigade, routinely attend a wide range of incidents in the channel tunnel. Most of these are minor incidents of a type to be expected in any operational transport system. Until the fire of 18 November 1996, there has been only one significant incident requiring the attendance of externally based firefighters: the car fire of 9 December 1994, which occurred at the Folkestone terminal and was extinguished by a team from the Kent fire brigade.

Mrs. Dunwoody

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what procedures are in place for identifying car and coach passengers who will need special care in the event of an emergency in the channel tunnel; and what assistance is given to them. [5938]

Mr. Watts

Disabled drivers or drivers carrying disabled passengers are asked to identify themselves at the toll booth. They are given a sticker which identifies them to Eurotunnel's shuttle allocation staff who then ensure that they are loaded at the front of the tourist shuttle rake. In this position, the train crew are aware of them and can ensure that they receive priority attention in the event of an emergency. Specially constructed chairs are made available for passengers with physical disabilities and are stored in readily identifiable areas in the loading wagons to the front of the shuttle. Train crew have received training in the movement of disabled persons in an emergency.

Mrs. Dunwoody

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the automatic de-coupling devices were last tested on the freight train involved in the recent fire in the channel tunnel. [5940]

Mr. Watts

The Department of Transport has no information on when the automatic de-coupling devices were last tested on the HGV shuttle involved in the recent fire in the channel tunnel. However, Eurotunnel carries out "level 1" maintenance checks every 18 days on the correct functioning of these devices, with more detailed "level 2" and "level 3" checks every three months and six months respectively.

Mrs. Dunwoody

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what inspections have been undertaken by the Channel Tunnel Safety Authority to ensure that leakages between the tunnels are kept to a minimum. [5932]

Mr. Watts

This issue was extensively addressed during construction and commissioning. The safety authority and the Maitre d'Oeuvre witnessed tests to establish that the ventilation operating principles which Eurotunnel produced were sufficient to ensure the positive pressure necessary to maintain the "safe haven" of the service tunnel through any cross-passage doors that may be opened for evacuation or rescue of people in an emergency.

Mrs. Dunwoody

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is the estimated time delay between an incident occurring in mid-channel tunnel and the arrival of fire fighting teams from outside the tunnel. [5930]

Mr. Watts

The time of arrival of firefighting teams will depend on their location when an alarm is received. Teams are frequently present in the tunnel during the day. If an alarm is received and teams are in the fire equipment management centres at either end of the tunnel, the maximum estimated attendance time is about 20 minutes.

Mrs. Dunwoody

To ask the Secretary of Stale for Transport when the fire detection systems aboard freight trains operating in the channel tunnel were last inspected by(a) the French or Kent fire brigades or (b) the Channel Tunnel Safety Authority. [5934]

Mr. Watts

There are no fire detection systems aboard freight trains. There are detectors in the tunnel structures. On HGV shuttles, fire detection systems are located in the loader wagons. Inspectors from Her Majesty's railway inspectorate and Kent fire brigade review Euroturiners maintenance records for these systems regularly.

Mrs. Dunwoody

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will place in the Library copies of the correspondence between Eurotunnel and the Channel Tunnel Safety Authority relating to the design of semi-open wagons and the changes that were made to satisfy the Channel Tunnel Safety Authority that these wagons were safe for use. [5939]

Mr. Watts

The annual reports of the Channel Tunnel Safety Authority for 1992–93 and 1993–94 commented in depth on the discussions of the semi-open heavy goods vehicle shuttle design, and set out the concerns of the safety authority, which Eurotunnel had asked to address. Copies of these reports were placed in the Library of the House on their publication.

Mrs. Dunwoody

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if security guards patrolling the channel tunnel site have direct radio links with the railway control centre controlling trains entering or leaving the tunnel. [5931]

Mr. Watts

On the UK side, the security guards patrolling the terminal site are all equipped with radios permitting direct communication with the railway control centre. On the French terminal, the security guards patrolling the site are also equipped with radios, but their usual means of communication is by direct radio link to security control, which in turn has direct telephone access to the railway control centre.

Mrs. Dunwoody

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will place in the Library copies of incident reports received by the Channel Tunnel Safety Authority relating to accidents or incidents occurring in the channel tunnel since public services began. [5935]

Mr. Watts

Since public services in the channel tunnel began, Eurotunnel has provided a wide range of reports to the safety authority on incidents and accidents at work, many of which refer to minor incidents of a type to be expected in any operational transport system. Significant incidents are reported to the intergovernmental commission and included in the annual reports of the Channel Tunnel Safety Authority, which are placed in the Library of the House.

Mrs. Dunwoody

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the details of evacuation tests completed on the channel tunnel to date to demonstrate the likely escape times in the event of any emergency and the results for(a) passengers in private cars and (b) passengers in coaches. [5937]

Mr. Watts

A large number of tests relating to the evacuation of trains in the channel tunnel have been carried out by the operator, Eurotunnel. The methodology and conclusions of these tests were examined and found acceptable by the Channel Tunnel Safety Authority. Favourable advice was also received from the Maitre d'Oeuvre, the independent project manager. In addition, as part of routine staff training, Eurotunnel practises evacuation procedures on a regular basis. Publication of test results is a matter for the operator.

Mrs. Dunwoody

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if reports have been made to the Channel Tunnel Safety Authority regarding problems experienced with automatic de-coupling devices fitted to channel tunnel trains. [5941]

Mr. Watts

The safety authority has had no specific reports of difficulties with de-coupling devices fitted to channel tunnel trains.