§ Mr. David StewartTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what plans he has to meet the airlines to discuss the quality of cabin air in domestic and international flights. [58206]
§ Mr. JamiesonThe issue of cabin air quality was comprehensively addressed by the House of Lords inquiry into air travel and health. Since publication of the House of Lords findings, discussions between Government and the airline industry have been pursued through meetings of the Aviation Health Working Group. The Aviation Health Working Group was established to advise Ministers on all issues relating to aviation health.
Permanent members of the group are the Department for Transport Local Government and the Regions (chair), the Department of Health, the Civil Aviation Authority and the Health and Safety Executive. Representatives from the airlines, as well as consumer groups and other interested parties such as medical specialists, are regularly 510W invited to participate in selected meetings. At present we have no plans to meet airlines to discuss the quality of cabin air in domestic and international flights, but European Union funded research into cabin air quality is currently under way and my Department will continue to monitor this work closely.