Low Flying (Hansard, 23 March 1989)

§ Mr. Kirkwood
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what are the reasons for the increases in the proportion of United Kingdom low flying which took place over southern Scotland, listed in his replies to the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire on 13 July 1988,Official Report, columns 238–39, and 6 February 1989 Official Report, column 512; and if these trends are planned to continue.

§ Mr. Neubert
The amount of flying activity in particular areas is influenced by several factors, some of which are unpredictable. These include the weather, the location of major exercises and the availability of range and other facilities. The aim is to spread low flying training as widely and evenly as possible throughout the entire country to ensure that, as far as is practicable, no area receives an undue share of the training.

§ Mr. Kirkwood
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire on 6 February 1988,Official Report, column 512, if he will now publish figures for low flying movements in, and complaints from southern Scotland, including those within low flying area 13, for each calendar year from 1979 to 1988.

§ Mr. Neubert
No, the major part of low flying area 13 falls within northern England.

§ 1988. Mr. Kirkwood
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many low-level flights were conducted over the United Kingdom by aircraft of the Federal German armed forces not normally based in the United Kingdom in(a) 1987 and (b)

§ Mr. Neubert
The information requested cannot be provided without disproportionate effort. However, over 98 per cent. of low flying training in the United Kingdom is carried out by British military or United Kingdom based USAF aircraft, with under 2 per cent. being carried out by other NATO allies.

§ Mr. Kirkwood
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what arrangements have been made with the Federal German authorities since September 1988 for the transfer of low flying by Federal German military aircraft to Britain.

§ Mr. Neubert
None.

§ Mr. Kirkwood
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he had during 1988 with his Belgian counterpart, Monsieur Guy Coëme, on the subject of low flying.

§ Mr. Neubert
My right hon. Friend has had no such discussions.

§ Mr. Kirkwood
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what agreements were reached on the reduction of756W low flying over West Germany during his discussions with his West German counterpart, Dr. Rupert Scholz, on 30 January.

§ Mr. Neubert
None. Discussions did, however, take place on ways in which it might be possible to ease the impact of low flying training on the population.

§ Mr. Redmond
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many low-flying sorties took place in 1988 and 1989 to date which originated or terminated at RAF Finningley;
(2) how many low-flying sorties took place over the county of Yorkshire in 1988; how many have taken place in 1989 to date; and how many of these sorties originated or terminated their sorties from airfields in Yorkshire.

§ Mr. Neubert
Central records are not held in a form which would enable the information requested to be provided.