Senator Coleman asked the Minister representing the Minister for Transport, upon notice, on 3 December 1980:

(1) What are the minimum medical qualifications in the employment of cabin crew by each domestic airline in Australia.

(2) Is a First Aid Certificate essential prior to the graduation of all cabin crew.

(3) What action is taken by each domestic airline to ensure that at all times, a member of the cabin crew has, as a minimum, a single certificate or better.

(4) What is the type and quantity of medical equipment carried on all flights by each domestic airline in Australia.

Senator Messner —The Minister for Transport has provided the following answer to the honourable senator's question:

(1) All domestic airlines require the possession of a First Aid Certificate, either obtained prior to employment or prior to graduation as cabin crew.

(2) Yes.

(3) If the term 'single certificate' refers to a nursing qualification, no domestic airline requires this qualification for its cabin crew.

(4) Trans Australia Airlines carried the following medical equipment on all flights

medical oxygen with face masks

air viva resuscitator

two sealed emergency first aid kits to fulfil the requirements of Air Navigation Regulations

one general first aid kit containing bandages, air sickness tablets, bandaids, alka seltzer tablets, aspirin, or similar tablets and nasal sprays

East West Airlines

as for TAA with the exception of the air viva resuscitator

Ansett Airlines of Australia

Ansett Airlines of South Australia

Ansett Airlines of NSW

Ansett-MMA

these four airlines carry sealed emergency first aid kits to fulfil the requirements of Air Navigation Regulations

individual hostesses carry a first aid kit containing bandages, dressings, burn cream, antiseptic, analgesics, air sickness tablets, inhalant capsules, bandaids, scissors, tweezers, heart lung resuscitation instruction card

Bush Pilots Airways

medical oxygen with face masks

emergency first aid kits to fulfil the requirements of Air Navigation Regulations

Northern Airlines

as for Bush Pilots Airways with the addition of a first aid kit containing air sickness tablets, inhalant capsules, aspirin tablets, bandaids and alka seltzer tablets.