HC Deb 02 November 1999 vol 337 cc77-8W
Mr. Brake

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) what central records are kept by (i) his Department and (ii) the CAA of(a) Air Accident Investigation Bureau recommendations and (b) the resultant actions; and if he will make a statement; [96322]

(2) who is responsible for ensuring that the follow-up action recommended in the CAA flight safety report CAA Occurrence Number 98/04954, (Operator Brintel, AAIB report Bulletin 5/99, CAA factor number F18/99), is implemented. [96321]

Mr. Mullin

Under the Civil Aviation (Investigation of Air Accidents and Incidents) Regulations any undertaking or authority to which a safety recommendation is addressed is required to take the recommendation into consideration without delay and, where appropriate, act upon it. They are also required to provide the Secretary of State with full details of how they intend to implement the recommendation or a full explanation of why they do not intend to implement it. The recommendations referred to were addressed to the US Federal Aviation Administration as the State of Design for the aircraft type in question and we await their response.

Both the Civil Aviation Authority and the Air Accident Investigation Branch keep a record of all recommendations. The AAIB also keeps details of all responses to safety recommendations. In addition, the CAA publishes an annual progress report on recommendations addressed to both the CAA and the Department. It has now been agreed that this progress report will be expanded to include action on all AAIB recommendations.