Dr. ThomasTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the locations and dates of periods of covert monitoring of low-flying operations conducted by Royal Air Force police since 1974.
§ Mr. Freeman[pursuant to his reply, 4 December 1987, c. 736–37]: Records of locations where covert surveys of low-flying activity have been carried out only exist for July 1979 onwards. Thereafter, the available information is as follows:
Dates and locations of RAF Police covert observations 1979–87
Date and Location
1979
- Peterborough area
- Gaydon area
- Newent
- Isle of Wight
- Liverpool/Manchester area
- Pembray Range
- Twycross Zoo
1980
- Hartley
- Isle of Skye
- Unknown
- Marchington
- Glen-Pean
- Cowden Range
- Colbeck Transmitter Masts
- Colchester
- Sheffield area
- Area between Bolton and Southport
- Area between Nottingham and Birmingham
- Area between Birmingham and London
- North London
- Brough area
- Bewdley
- Banbury
1981
- Ashpark
- Cranfield airfield
- Lichfield
- Plaish
3–7 August
- Desborough
- Cranfield airfield
- Street
1982
- Pontesbury
- Shrewsbury
- Otterburn Range
- Spadeadam Range
- East Riding General Hospital
- Witnash
1983
- Windermere
- Ullswater
- Burton-Constable
- Hall
- Yaxley
- Stone, Staffordshire
25–29 July
- Northants
- Corby
1984
30 May-11 June
- Harrogate
22–24 May
626W
- Watton
- Oundle
9–10 May
- Aberystwyth
5–7 June
- Area between Birmingham and Thames Valley
6–7 September
- Pickering
12–14 September
- Newark on Trent
17–20 September
- Stone
18–20 September
- Saltford
25–27 September
- Deans Hangar
1985
30–31 January
- Rugby
19–21 February
- Market Harborough
26–27 February
- Newport, Gwent
5–6 March
- St. Crispin Hospital, Northants
12–13 March
- Rugby
26–27 March
- Gorseinon
17 April
- Brynamman, Wales
30 April-2 May
- Sibson Airfield
- Area between Cambridge and Newmarket
- Area between RAF Leeming and Teesside
- Holbeach
14–16 May
- Kelso
- Jedburgh
- Duns
30 May
- Lutterworth
14 June
- Filey, Yorkshire
- Area between Felixstowe and Ipswich
- Area between Coningsby and Boston
- Area between Cambridge and Newmarket
21–23 October
- Teesside
- Holbeach
- Newmarket
5–6 December
- Alnwick
1986
14–16 January
- Broughton
- Burton upon Stather
- Burringham
21–22 January
- Newport, Humberside
27–31 January
- Carlisle
- Bowness on Windermere
- Hexham
- Catterick
7–10 April
- Windermere
- Carlisle
- Penrith
- Morpeth
- Hexham
- Alnwick
22–24 April
- Area between Leeming and Teesside
- Area between Diss and Ipswich
6 June
- Pocklington glider site
24–26 June
- Weethley Hamlet
21–22 July
- Leeds
627 - Garforth
21–24 July
- Builth Wells
21–24 July
- Exmoor
30–31 July
- Chirnside
4–8 August
- Keswick
- Barnard Castle
5–8 August
- Carlisle
- Lowther Castle
- Catterick
- Richmond
- Withernsea
26–28 August
- Redditch
23–25 September
- West Ayton
24–26 September
- Whitnash
8–9 October
- Grimsby
- Cleethorpes
8 October
- East Riding Hospital
9 October
- Area between Leeming and Teesside
29 October
- Carperby
19–20 November
- Rothwell
Late 1986/early 1987
- Ashbourne
1987
16–18 March
- Banham Zoo
7–9 April
- Penrith
- Morpeth
- Amble
9 April
- Alnwick
14–15 April
- Pickering
- Jed burgh
1 June
- Peterborough
7–8 July
- Redmile
21–24 July
- Dumfries and Galloway
21–24 July
- Builth Wells
4–6 August
- Grindleford Bridge
4–6 August
- Alnwick
5 August
- Haltwhistle
19–20 August
- Haxby
11–12 August
- Leighton Hall, Carnforth
13–14 August
- Castle Farm, Devon
15–17 September
- Scarborough
21–25 September
- Ettrick
Dr. ThomasTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence on how many occasions since 1974 disciplinary proceedings have been instituted against pilots found to have been infringing low-flying regulations by Royal Air628W Force police involved in covert monitoring in low-flying areas, but where no complaints were received from the public.
§ Mr. Freeman[pursuant to his reply, 4 December 1987, c. 736–37]: Responsibility for disciplinary action against pilots found to have been infringing low-flying regulations by Royal Air Force police lies with the commanding officer at the appropriate RAF" station. Central records of the action taken by commanding officers in such cases are not kept.
Dr. ThomasTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Royal Air Force police, expressed as full-time equivalent staff, are currently assigned to covert field monitoring of low-flying aircraft; and what changes have taken place in these staffing levels since 1977.
§ Mr. Freeman[pursuant to his reply, 4 December 1987, c. 736–37]: Total hours of all RAF police personnel devoted to covert field monitoring of low-flying aircraft currently amounts to the equivalent of approximately one third to one half of a single full-time RAF policemen's job. Figures for 1977 are not available, but there has been a general increase in the number of covert observations carried out since 1979. We are currently reviewing the numbers of personnel devoted to covert and non-covert monitoring.
Dr. ThomasTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the practice of covert monitoring of low-flying by Royal Air Force police was introduced.
§ Mr. Freeman[pursuant to his reply, 4 December 1987, c. 736–37]: Covert monitoring of low-flying aircraft has been carried out by the RAF police at least since 1977.
Dr. ThomasTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the methods used by Royal Air Force police involved in covert monitoring of low-flying activity to assess height and speed of low-flying aircraft.
§ Mr. Freeman[pursuant to his reply, 4 December 1987, c. 736–37]: Covert monitoring of low-flying aircraft is carried out visually following the survey of a suitable site noting relative heights and distances of local landmarks. Teams of two RAF police are normally made up one experienced observer and one in training.