§ Mr. Sproatasked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will now give a definite operational date for RAF Sea King search and rescue helicopters at Lossiemouth; and if they will be available for long-range, oil-related missions if flying is taking place on the parent airfield.
§ Mr. WellbelovedIt is planned that the RAF Sea King helicopters at Lossiemouth will become operational in early September. They will have an operating radius of 270 nautical miles, which can be extended greatly by refuelling on oil rigs or in the islands. They will thus be available for rescue work on offshore installations among their other tasks. Their availability will be unaffected by other flying activities at Lossiemouth.