PUBLIC INQUIRY INTO AIR RELATED DEEP VEIN THROMBOSIS

Early day motion 192, tabled 18 July 2001 by John Smith (Labour). Signed by 121 members.

That this House, in response to the growing public awareness and concern about the number of premature deaths and serious illnesses caused by deep vein thrombosis in air travellers; notes the devastating consequences of previous delays in tackling emergent public health hazards such as BSE, asbestosis and smoking-related diseases; further notes the apparent reluctance of airline companies to undertake or co-operate with research into this debilitating and often fatal condition of issue advice on precautions that could be taken to minimise the risk of contracting it; acknowledges the growing body of medical opinion linking DVT to air travel including claims that as many as 10 per cent. of long-haul air travellers develop blood clots; accepts that the full extent of the problem is still unknown but recognises the absence of any regulatory body with responsibility for the health of airline passengers; and therefore calls upon Her Majesty's Government, as a matter of urgency, to undertake a full public inquiry into the incidence and cause of deep vein thrombosis in air travellers before any more lives are lost unnecessarily.

Signatures by party: Labour 95, Liberal Democrat 14, Labour/Co-operative 8, Conservative 2, Plaid Cymru 1, Scottish National Party 1.