20 Feb 2007 : Column WA215

Aviation: Air Quality

Lord Tyler asked Her Majesty's Government:

What consideration they have given to introducing regulations on the installation of contaminated air detection systems in United Kingdom registered aircraft. [HL1947]

Lord Bassam of Brighton: The principle of better regulation is to legislate only where necessary. It is not clear that contaminants are present in the cabin environment in a quantity harmful to crew and passengers. That is why we asked the independent Committee on Toxicity (COT) to undertake a comprehensive review of all the evidence, and we will, of course, be guided by the COT’s conclusions and recommendations.