Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to have the opportunity to respond to the matter raised by the hon. member for Cumberland—Colchester on October 20, 1998 as well as this evening regarding aircraft safety and kapton wiring.
During the certification of both foreign and domestic aircraft used in Canada, Transport Canada assesses aircraft wiring systems including the use of kapton wiring for appropriate installation. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration addresses the limitations associated with the use of kapton wiring. It does not prohibit its use but it does caution on proper installation.
When installed in accordance with FAA guidelines and subjected to the appropriate maintenance inspection procedures, there are no identified problems associated with the use of kapton wire. While Transport Canada is aware of Department of National Defence initiatives concerning this wire, there is no evidence of an identified safety problem with the use of kapton in the civil environment.
Despite the position taken by the U.S. navy that kapton was totally unacceptable for its aircraft, there was no clear experience to indicate a widespread problem on civil aircraft. It is not Transport Canada's practice to require changes on in service aircraft unless experience has shown it to be necessary to take such action. If it is shown through inspections, service difficulty reporting or occurrence investigation results that there is a problem with kapton, Transport Canada as regulator will take prompt and appropriate action to mitigate the safety risk.
In closing, Transport Canada continues to monitor closely the overall transportation safety board investigation into the Swissair accident and to evaluate information as it becomes available.