§ Mr. PawseyTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Royal Air Force low-flying aircraft have flown over the Rugby and Kenilworth constituency during the current year; and how many representations he has received from members of the public.
§ Mr. FreemanThe distribution of low-flying military aircraft within the United Kingdom low-flying system is recorded by low-flying administrative areas, which do not correspond with regional or constituency boundaries. It is therefore not possible to say how many low-flying aircraft have flown over the Rugby and Kenilworth constituency during the current year. Since 1 January 1987 no representations to my Department have been received from this constituency.
Dr. ThomasTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will publish in theOfficial Report the results of exercises held by the Royal Air Force since 1980 to measure the perceived noise on the ground generated by overflying low-level military jet aircraft.
§ Mr. FreemanThere has been no exercise since 1980 specifically to measure noise from low-flying military aircraft. However an exercise know as Bedlam was monitored and the results were published in 1983 in a report called "External noise of MOD military aircraft". A copy of this will be placed in the Library shortly.
Dr. ThomasTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence why pilots are permitted to set their radar altimeters to 90ft when flying in areas where the minimum permitted height is 100 ft above ground level.
§ Mr. FreemanI assume that the hon. Member is referring to the equipment known as the low-height warner, which operates in conjunction with the radar altimeter on some military aircraft. The purpose of this equipment is to give warning that an aircraft is lower than it is intended to be, and that urgent corrective action should be taken. It is primarily a safety device and the various heights at which it can be set are determined by safety considerations.