§ Mr. FoulkesTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will publish the statistics obtained during the survey of low flying by RAF strike command in early 1989.
§ Mr. Kenneth CarlisleA representative sample of the statistics obtained from the survey of low flying begun by RAF strike command in 1989 will be provided to the Select Committee on Defence later this year.
281W
§ Mr. FoulkesTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will prohibit the use of fixed low-flying routes in the United Kingdom by front-line strike/attack/ reconnaissance units.
§ Mr. FoulkesTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what consideration has been given to providing continuation training at 100 ft for RAF Tornado crews while deployed to the Gulf region.
§ Mr. Kenneth CarlisleDetailed arrangements for future deployments of RAF aircraft to the Gulf for training exercises will he the subject of discussions with the host nations concerned.
§ Mr. FoulkesTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what date the Royal Air Force's Harrier GR7s commenced night low-level training; and what decisions have been taken on the location of such training.
§ Mr. Kenneth CarlisleThe Harrier GR7 squadrons have not yet commenced night low-level training. This training will be distributed throughout the United Kingdom night low flying system and we expect to carry out some training overseas.
§ Mr. FoulkesTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what measures are being taken to monitor the selection of fixed low-level routes over the United Kingdom by front-line strike/attack/reconnaissance units.
§ Mr. Kenneth CarlisleAir crew use standard routes as little as possible. Where this is unavoidable, routes are varied as much as possible and standard routes are in any case replaced at regular intervals.
§ Mr. FoulkesTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what facilities are made available in Turkey for RAF Jaguar crews deployed to Incirlik to maintain their qualifications to fly at 100 ft above ground level.
§ Mr. Kenneth CarlisleNone.
§ Mr. FoulkesTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what are the maximum permitted speeds between initial point and simulated target, or during mock interceptions, while flying in the United Kingdom at 100 ft above ground level, for(a) Tornado aircraft, (b) Jaguar aircraft, (c) Harrier aircraft, (d) Hawk aircraft, (e) F4 aircraft and (f) Buccaneer aircraft; on what date these speed limits were introduced; which information channels or documents are used to communicate these speed limits to Royal Air Force pilots; and what advice has been given to the low flying complaints office concerning the communication of information on the new limits to the public.
§ Mr. Kenneth CarlisleFor the aircraft listed, the maximum permitted speeds between initial point and simulated target, or during mock interceptions, while flying in the United Kingdom at not less than 100 ft above ground level are as follows:
Kts (a) Tornado 500 (b) Jaguar 520 (c) Harrier GR5/7 420 (d) Hawk 480 There is no routine requirement for the F4 and Buccaneer aircraft to fly below 250 feet in the United Kingdom low-flying system.
282WSpeed restrictions for most of those aircraft concerned were introduced in January 1991 and are stated in the United Kingdom Military Low Flying Handbook. The advice given to the low flying complaints office on the communication of information related to low flying in the United Kingdom is a matter for my Department.