HL Deb 23 January 1979 vol 397 c1381WA
Lord KENNET

asked Her Majesty's Government:

How many miles have been flown, by how many aircraft from the UK, using how much fuel, searching for vessels or persons at sea which or who are not equipped with transponders or other aids to the determination of their whereabouts.

Lord STRABOLGI

Royal Naval and RAF aircraft flew 962 hours in 1978 in connection with 332 shipping incidents. It is estimated that of the total some 850 hours, involving the use of about 450,000 gallons of aviation fuel, may have been expended in searching forvesselsor persons not equipped with electronic location aids. In the case of unsuccessful searches it is often not possible to establish whether such aids were available. No record is kept of the number of air miles flown.