§ Mr. CohenTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will take steps to prevent the ejection of chaff from aircraft over areas grazed by livestock; what representations he has received from farmers on this matter; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. FreemanNo. In war, the deployment of chaff would help our aircraft to avoid detection by enemy radar and thus enhance the survival prospects of the aircraft and aircrew. Practice in deploying chaff effectively is, therefore, essential. Most chaff is dropped over the sea, but a small amount has to be dispersed over land, almost all in the area of training ranges. Such use is very strictly controlled. Following complaints by a small number of farmers in the vicinity of the electronic warfare training range at RAF Spadeadam in Cumbria, the Ministry of Defence commissioned an independent study into the properties of chaff. The Ministry of Defence is discussing with the National Farmers Union our intention to conduct a follow-on study of the effects of chaff upon livestock within the Spadeadam area for a period of two years commencing in the near future.