§ 40. Mr. Geraint Howellsasked the Secretary of State for Defence how many fatalities have resulted from low-flying operations over the past five years; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. FreemanSince 1 July 1982, the deaths of five RAF personnel have occurred in the United Kingdom during low-level flying operations by fast jet aircraft. A further 10 such deaths have resulted from crashes at sea around the United Kingdom. No civilians have been killed in these accidents. As is well known, a certain amount of low-level flying training is essential to the readiness of our aircrew. A degree of risk to those aircrew and of disturbance to the public is, regrettably, inevitable. However, all possible steps are taken to reduce this to a minimum.
§ 51. Mrs. Margaret Ewingasked the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to review safety procedures applicable to Royal Air Force low-flying exercises in light of recent accidents.
§ Mr. FreemanThe regulations governing the low-flying system are kept continuously under review and are altered as necessary. When the reasons for an accident are known these will be taken into account in our ongoing examinations of safety procedures.