§ Mr. Rogers: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what is the average decibel level created at ground level by (a) Tornado aircraft, (b) Buccaneer aircraft, (c) Harrier aircraft, (d) Jaguar aircraft, (e) Phantom aircraft and (f) Hawk aircraft when flying at 450 mph and at a height of 250 ft;
(2) what is the average decibel level created at ground level by (a) Tornado aircraft, (b) Buccaneer aircraft, (c) Harrier aircraft, (d) Jaguar aircraft, (e) Phantom aircraft and (f) Hawk aircraft when flying at 450 mph and at a height of 100 ft.
§ Mr. NeubertI will write to the hon. Member.
§ Mr. RogersTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what percentage of low-flying training carried out by the Royal Air Force was undertaken in the United States of America and Canada in each year from 1974 to 1988.
§ Mr. NeubertMy Department does not keep records of the proportion of the Royal Air Force's training at low level conducted in the countries listed, and it would require disproportionate effort to cull this information from available statistics.
§ Mr. RogersTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many low-level sorties were flown by United States Air Force aircraft in the United Kingdom in each year since 1980.
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§ Mr. NeubertRecords of low-level sorties by the United States Air Force in the United Kingdom were not kept prior to 1985. They flew 25,157 sorties in 1985, 25,217 in 1986 and 21,869 in 1987. The total statistics for 1988 are not yet available.
§ Mr. RogersTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many low-level sorties were flown by British military aircraft in the United Kingdom in 1988.
§ Mr. NeubertStatistics for 1988 are not yet available.
§ Mr. RogersTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the rate of major accidents for Royal Air Force aircraft which occurred during low-level operations in 1988.
§ Mr. NeubertI refer the hon. Member to the answer that I gave the hon. Member for Cunninghame, North (Mr. Wilson) on 22 December 1988 at col.371 –72.
§ Mr. RogersTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many major accidents have occurred to:(a) Tornado aircraft, (b) Buccaneer aircraft, (c) Harrier aircraft, (d) Jaguar aircraft, (e) Phantom aircraft and (f) Hawk aircraft during the low-flying operations in each year since 1980.
§ Mr NeubertSince 16 August 1988, the following aircraft suffered major damage during low flying operations:
Date Gazelle 19 October 1988 Jaguar 7 September 1988 Information on previous such accidents is contained in a letter dated 16 August 1988 from my predecessor, my hon. Friend the Member for Kettering (Mr. Freeman), to the hon. Member for Glasgow, Provan (Mr. Wray), a copy of which is in the Library of the House.