HC Deb 07 January 2003 vol 397 cc100-1W
Mr. John Smith

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what incentive airlines are offering their passengers to complete questionnaires on behalf of researchers involved in the WHO study into DVT and flying; [88847]

(2) how many seats on long haul flights airlines are offering free of charge to researchers to undertake clinical experiments on volunteers into the relationship between cabin atmosphere and the incidence of blood clotting as part of the WHO's study into DVT and flying; [88848]

(3) what help the researchers involved in the World Health Organisation's study into deep vein thrombosis and flying are getting from the airlines to obtain passenger lists of frequent flyers [88850]

(4) what co-operation researchers involved in the World Health Organisation's study into deep vein thrombosis and flying are receiving from airlines through the IATA medical group; and if he will make a statement [88852]

(5) what access researchers involved in the World Health Organisation's study into deep vein thrombosis and flying are getting to passengers on board aircraft through the IATA. [88851]

Mr. Jamieson

This is primarily a matter between the airlines and the researchers carrying out the World Health Organisation's study into DVT and flying, but I understand that(a) although the air travel costs of the researchers carrying out clinical studies have been included in the overall budget for the project, airlines have agreed to provide a number of seats free-of-charge on selected flights; (b) airlines, through the IATA Medical Advisory Group, are cooperating in a pilot study of frequent flyers in order to test the methodology for the full-scale epidemiological study; (c) for reasons of confidentiality airlines will not supply passenger details, but they have agreed to send out questionnaires to selected passengers and to forward the responses to the researchers; (d) the epidemiological studies to be carried out in the first phase of the WHO project do not require access to passengers on board aircraft; and (e) in order to maintain the integrity and the neutrality of the research the WHO decided that airlines should not be too closely involved with the study. For this reason they will not provide incentives to passengers.