HC Deb 19 March 2002 vol 382 cc231-3W
Mr. Clifton-Brown

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what discussions his Department had after 18 January concerning whether Swanwick should be taken into operation on 27 January. [43063]

Mr. Jamieson

No such discussions were held.

Mr. Clifton-Brown

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will publish the letter dated 8 January from HM Inspector of the Health and Safety Executive to the General Manager, NATS(En-Route)Ltd., concerning breaches of the Display Screen Equipment Regulations 1992. [43060]

Mr. Jamieson

HSE cannot publish this letter because of the restrictions placed on it by Section 28 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.

Mr. Clifton-Brown

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what assessment has been made of the compliance of the new en-route centre at Swanwick with the(a) Display Screen Equipment Regulations 1992 and (b) BSEN 29241–3/ISO 9241–3. [43057]

Mr. Jamieson

HSE inspectors and HSE's expert on display screen equipment visited the new en-route centre at Swanwick on 18 January. The purpose of this visit was to begin assessing NATS (En-Route) Limited's compliance with the Display Screen Equipment Regulations 1992. Since the visit NATS have provided HSE with further information about the display screen equipment in use at the Swanwick centre and this has been used to complete HSE's assessment of compliance. HSE's expert took BSEN 29241–3/ISO 9241–3 into account in making the assessment.

Mr. Clifton-Brown

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions for what reason the Health and Safety Executive considered issuing an enforcement order in respect of the equipment at the new en-route centre at Swanwick; for what reason the order was withdrawn; and what is being done to resolve these outstanding issues and improve safety at Swanwick. [43064]

Mr. Jamieson

HSE's inspectors considered the working conditions at Swanwick against the Health and Safety Commission's expectations for enforcement and did not consider it appropriate to serve an enforcement notice. Therefore there is no question of a notice being withdrawn.

HSE wrote to NATS on the 18 January summarising its concerns. HSE's expert on display screen equipment is finalising a detailed report on his findings. HSE will present that report to the management and employees' representatives at NATS shortly, and will require an action plan to address any matters which are outstanding at that time within an appropriate timescale.

Mr. Clifton-Brown

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if the Government intend to charge NATS public private partnership interest on tax proceeds from the Airland Group deferred sale; and if he will make a statement. [43067]

Mr. Jamieson

As part of the PPP, the Government received £35 million of deferred sales proceeds by way of a loan note from NATS. Interest has accrued, and will continue to accrue, on these notes since the date of sale. No tax is outstanding on which interest could be claimed.

Mr. Clifton-Brown

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (1) if the CAA commissioned a formal ergonomic evaluation of the display screen equipment at the new en-route centre at Swanwick prior to granting approval for the equipment; [43056]

(2) pursuant to his answer of 25 February 2002, Official Report, column 1808W, for what reason the CAA gave NATS its final approval to take Swanwick into operation; [43061]

(3) what assessment has been made of the implications for air safety of the display screen equipment at the en-route centre at Swanwick. [43058]

Mr. Jamieson

These are matters for the CAA as the independent aviation safety regulator.

Mr. Clifton-Brown

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (1) when the promised capacity gains will be delivered by the Swanwick centre; [43065]

(2) for what purpose a further meeting was convened involving senior management staff from NATS, CAA and the Health and Safety Executive; [43062]

(3) if he will require NATS Ltd. to publish the management reports relating to the display screen equipment at the new en-route centre at Swanwick. [43059]

Mr. Jamieson

These are operational matters for NATS.

Mr. Redwood

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how much public money has been paid to NATS since it became a PPP. [41295]

Mr. Spellar

I refer right the hon. Member to the answer given by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Mr. Jamieson), on 11 March 2002,Official Report, column 741W to the hon. Member for Cotswold (Mr. Clifton-Brown). Of the £23 million referred to since the creation of the Public Private Partnership, on 26 July 2001, the residual balance of £200,000 has been paid to National Air Traffic Services.