HC Deb 22 March 1989 vol 149 c618W
Mr. Kirkwood

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire of 3 February 1989,Official Report, column 448, if he will now publish figures showing the extent of range activity by aircraft at Otterburn and Spadeadam in each year since 1979.

Mr. Neubert

Otterburn is primarily an Army artillery range and the use of the facility by aircraft is extremely limited. It would not be possible to detail this usage in terms of number of aircraft and sorties flown without disproportionate cost and effort.

The following represents the number of 10-minute flying slots utilised at Spadeadam range in the years 1985–88. Records prior to 1985 no longer exist.

Year Number
1985 6,330
1986 6,348
1987 5,959
1988 4,645