§ 76. Mr. Osborneasked the Under secretary of State for Air whether he will now make a statement in regard to the use by the Royal Air Force of the practice bombing range at Saltfleet.
Mr. WardYes. My hon. Friend will recall that it was decided on 1st December, 1953, to suspend all bombing practice on this range in view of the accidental releases of bombs which had occurred over the land.
The Air Ministry is now working upon an experimental method of bomb plotting by radar which, if successful, will enable practice bombing to be done well out to sea. After careful consideration it has been decided to use the Theddle-thorpe (Saltfleet) range for a fortnight's trial of this device. The trial, which will begin early next month, will be made with the most stringent safety precautions designed to eliminate any risk of a bomb falling on land. I shall make a further statement in due course about the future of this important range.