Air-sea Rescue (Hansard, 4 February 1988)

§ Mr. Rogers
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Royal Navy or Royal Air Force air-sea rescue sorties were carried out in 1987 to assist(a) foreign merchant ships, (b) foreign military vessels including NATO forces, and (c) foreign trawlers, sailcraft and other vessels.

§ Mr. Freeman
The following sorties were flown in 1987 by United Kingdom-based Royal Navy and Royal Air Force search and rescue helicopters to assist:

Number

(a) Foreign merchant ships 38

(b) Foreign military vessels including NATO forces 4

(c) Foreign fishing vessels 37

(d) Foreign pleasure craft 5

§ Mr. Rogers
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Royal Navy or Royal Air Force air-sea rescue sorties were flown in 1987 to assist(a) Royal Navy ships, (b) British merchant ships and ferries and (c) British trawlers, sailcraft or other vessels.

§ Mr. Freeman
The following sorties were flown in 1987 by United Kingdom based Royal Navy and Royal Air Force search and rescue helicopters to assist:

Number

(a) Royal Navy shipping 11

(b) British merchant shipping, including ferries 57

(c) British fishing vessels 83

(d) British pleasure craft 127

§ Mr. Rogers
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Royal Navy or Royal Air Force air-sea rescue operations were flown in 1987 to rescue(a) British military aircrew, (b) NATO aircrew, (c) British civilian aircrew and (d) other foreign military or civilian aircrew.

§ Mr. Freeman
Information is not held in the precise form requested. Assistance was provided in 1987 by United Kingdom-based Royal Navy and Royal Air Force search and rescue helicopters as follows:

Incidents

(a) British military aircraft 97

(b) United States Military aircraft 6

(c) British civilian aircraft 19

There were an additional 49 call-outs to assist aircraft in distress in which the nationality of the aircraft was not recorded.

§ Mr. Rogers
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Royal Navy or Royal Air Force air-sea rescue sorties were carried out to rescue mountaineers or were in support of other domestic civilian emergency operations.

§ Mr. Freeman
A total of 418 sorties were flown in 1987 by United Kingdom based Royal Navy and Air Force search and rescue helicopters to assist civilian personnel on land.

§ Mr. Rogers
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many rescue sorties were carried out by Royal Navy and Royal Air Force air-sea rescue service outside British territorial waters in 1987.

§ Mr. Freeman
The United Kingdom's responsibility for search and rescue extends well beyond territorial waters, and separate figures are not held for incidents outside716W those waters. International co-operation is an important feature of search and rescue and from time to time assistance is given by United Kingdom-based Royal Navy and Royal Air Force search and rescue aircraft in areas which are the responsibility of other nations, but, again, these are not recorded centrally.
A total of 93 search and rescue sorties were flown in 1987 by Royal Air Force search and rescue helicopters based overseas, of which 51 were to military incidents and 42 to civilian incidents. Records are not kept centrally of rescue sorties carried out by aircraft embarked in Royal Navy ships.

§ Mr. Rogers
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many rescue sorties were carried out by the Royal Navy air-sea rescue service in 1987.

§ Mr. Freeman
In 1987, a total of 349 search and rescue sorties were flown by United Kingdom-based Royal Navy search and rescue helicopters.

§ Mr. Rogers
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many training, rescue or other sorties were carried out by Royal Navy and Royal Air Force air-sea rescue services in 1987.

§ Mr. Freeman
In 1987 the United Kingdom-based Royal Navy and Royal Air Force search and rescue helicopters flew 1,494 search and rescue sorties. Information on training sorties is not held centrally.

§ Mr. Rogers
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many civilian personnel have been rescued by Royal Navy and Royal Air Force air-sea rescue services in 1987.

§ Mr. Freeman
In 1987, a total of 903 civilian personnel were rescued by United Kingdom-based Royal Navy and Royal Air Force search and rescue helicopters.

§ Mr. Rogers
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many military personnel have been rescued by Royal Navy and Royal Air Force air-sea rescue services in 1987.

§ Mr. Freeman
In 1987 a total of 54 military personnel were rescued by United Kingdom-based Royal Navy and Royal Air Force search and rescue helicopters.

§ Mr. Rogers
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many rescue sorties were carried out by the Royal Air Force air-sea rescue service in 1987.

§ Mr. Freeman
In 1987, a total of 1,145 search and rescue sorties were flown by United Kingdom-based Royal Air Force search and rescue helicopters.

	Number
(a) Foreign merchant ships	38
(b) Foreign military vessels including NATO forces	4
(c) Foreign fishing vessels	37
(d) Foreign pleasure craft	5

	Number
(a) Royal Navy shipping	11
(b) British merchant shipping, including ferries	57
(c) British fishing vessels	83
(d) British pleasure craft	127

	Incidents
(a) British military aircraft	97
(b) United States Military aircraft	6
(c) British civilian aircraft	19