Mr McClelland asked the Minister for Transport and Regional Services, upon notice, on 13 March 2002:

Has the Civil Aviation Safety Authority reassessed its requirement for monitoring the operations and cabin and cockpit air quality of the BAe 146 aircraft operating in Australia since October 2000; if so, what reassessment has been made and have any practices changed as a result of that reassessment; if so what practice or practices have changed.

Mr Anderson --The answer to the honourable member's question is as follows:

The Civil Aviation Safety Authority issued an Airworthiness Directive, effective 3 April 2001, which requires all operators to undertake inspections of oil contamination at intervals not to exceed 500 flights.

In October 2000 the Senate Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport References Committee tabled its report on Air Safety and Cabin Air Quality in the BAe 146 Aircraft in Parliament with eight recommendations.

The issues raised have been addressed in the Government response to the Committee's report.

Action to table the Government's final response will be progressed as quickly as possible. A final consolidated response has recently been sent to the Prime Minister seeking agreement to tabling at the earliest possible opportunity.

Final clearance and tabling of the Government's response was delayed as a result of the Federal election and to allow for the consideration of recently completed international studies. Accordingly, the response has been updated to ensure it represents a satisfactory consideration of the Senate Committee's recommendations.