§ Baroness Wilcoxasked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Falconer of Thoroton on 11 April (WA 125)
- (a) to what extent health issues were taken into account alongside safety considerations for the proposed new seat sizes for airline passengers;
WA 84 - (b) whether there should be more generous minima for long-haul flights;
- (c) to the extent that minimum seat space is intended to facilitate sufficiently speedy emergency evacuation, whether the new proposals will be tested by people who not only represent a realistic cross-section of likely passengers in terms of both age and general fitness but also have been subjected to simulated flight conditions for several hours; and
- (d) whether the definitions of seat size to be discussed with representatives from the industry and consumer groups will, as recommended by the Select Committee for Science and Technology in its 5th Report, Session 1999–2000, HL Paper 121, take account of reductions in space from the seat in front being reclined, from material in seat-back pockets and from fold-down tables. [HL3983]
§ Lord Falconer of Thoroton(a) The seat spacing proposals in the CAA-sponsored ICE Ergonomics research were based primarily on emergency evacuation requirements. ICE Ergonomics were additionally asked to consider the medical aspects of long-term sitting and the scope for addressing this within the minimum seat spacing requirements. The report concluded that there was a lack of prospective, controlled data and that the contribution of seat design and spacing to the development of thromboembolic disease was not yet known.
(b) Any decision to increase the safety-based minima on UK aircraft on long-haul flights would be a matter for the CAA.
There is currently no evidence to justify an increase in the minima on long-haul flights on the grounds of health. On the basis of our current understanding of travel-related DVT, it is immobility that presents the most significant risk factor and this issue is addressed in the advice on DVT published by the Department of Health. Our present plans for further research on DVT incorporate an assessment of whether there are elements specific to the aircraft environment that can also increase the risk of DVT, including seat spacing on long-haul flights.
(c) Validation of the findings from the ICE Ergonomics research is a matter for the Joint Aviation Authorities to take forward. Any passenger trials would almost certainly involve a cross-section of the public, including age and general fitness. While the effects of sitting for several hours could be embodied within such testing, it would not be possible to do so under conditions that truly simulated the atmospheric and environmental conditions that exist in the flying environment.
(d) There are a number of factors that affect the amount of space and the degree of comfort afforded by any given seat on an aircraft, including the position of the seat in front, the design and construction of the seat itself and the build of the occupant. In addition, different seats on the same aircraft can have different seat pitch or seat width. It is difficult to include all the 85WA relevant variables within a single set of measurements without compromising the clarity of the information. The work the department is currently undertaking on a definition of seat size, and on which it is consulting interested parties, aims to provide passengers with a consistent and straightforward basis on which to make comparisons when terms such as "seat pitch" and "seat width" are used.
§ Baroness Wilcoxasked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Falconer of Thoroton on 11 April (WA 125), whether they will, in addition to monitoring the way in which airlines make use of the Government's November 2001 advice on deep vein thrombosis and travel, also study the extent to which the advice is understood by passengers at booking (in time to enable intending passengers to consider taking medical advice or other action before travel), at check-in, on take-off and in-flight. [HL3984]
§ Lord Falconer of ThorotonThe advice published by the Department of Health in November 2001 clearly identifies those groups within the general population that should consider taking medical advice before undertaking a flight. At present the Government do not regard it as a priority to investigate the extent to which this advice, and the information provided by airlines, is understood by passengers.
§ Baroness Wilcoxasked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Falconer of Thoroton on 11 April (WA 126), whether they propose any action to reduce to zero the number of airline passengers travelling on United Kingdom-registered aircraft which employ re-circulatory ventilation systems with less than HEPA (high efficiency particulate air) standard filtration. [HL3985]
§ Lord Falconer of ThorotonNo. On short-haul routes, some aircraft types do not re-circulate air and therefore do not require filters. In addition there are a number of aircraft types used on short-haul routes that cannot be fitted with HEPA filters, although some of these employ filtration equipment equivalent to HEPA standard.