§ Mr. FrenchTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what restrictions apply to the carriage of live ordnance and other hazardous payloads on aircraft leased by the Ministry of Defence from civil contractors.
§ Mr. HanleyThe carriage of dangerous air cargo—DAC—by air is governed by the United Nations through the International Civil Aviation Organisation—ICAO—which issues technical instructions which regulate how cargoes should be packed and the restrictions to be applied with regard to their safe transport. With regard to the live ordnance and hazardous items of a similar nature, the ICAO regulations preclude their carriage on civil aircraft and these restrictions would be applied to any civil aircraft leased by the MOD.