§ Mr. WrayTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the total number of accidents in the United Kingdom and abroad during low flying exercises in 1987 403W and 1988, for each of the three services; and what is the cost of damage to, or loss of, aircraft of each of those services, at 1989 prices.
§ Mr. NeubertIt would not be possible, without disproportionate cost and effort, to provide this information for all accidents—many of them extremely minor—affecting aircraft of the three services. Since 1980 it has been the practice of this Government to publish in the statement on the Defence Estimates a complete list of all major accidents to aircraft of the three services. The information sought for 1987 was set out in considerable detail by my predecessor, my hon. Friend the Member for Kettering (Mr. Freeman), in his two leters to the hon. Member dated 23 March and 16 August 1988.
The information for 1988 is as follows:
Number Royal Navy 1 Army 1 Royal Air Force 4 As for the publication of information on unit costs of equipment, I refer the hon. Member to column 811 of the Official Report for 14 December 1987.