Low Flying (Hansard, 27 October 1989)

§ Mr. Foulkes
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many sorties were authorised to fly at less than 250 ft in the Borders tactical training area on 1 July 1988, 4 to 8 July 1988, 11 to 15 July 1988 and any subsequent dates.

§ Mr. Neubert
The information on sorties requested is not available, but the number of movements authorised for flying below 250 ft in the Borders tactical training area in July 1988 was 94 and from 1 August 1988 to 31 July 1989 was 1,912. These figures are not directly comparable with earlier movements figures for the Borders tactical training area which pre-date the extension of the area last year.

§ Mr. Foulkes
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if flying at less than 250 ft is included in the training syllabus for junior pilots on front-line Royal Air Force strike-attack squadrons.

§ Mr. Neubert
No. Operational low flying is mainly restricted to essential work-up training for specific exercises in North America and is not included in a general training syllabus.

§ Mr. Foulkes
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the effective date and geographical extent of each alteration to the boundaries of the Borders tactical training area since 1979.

§ Mr. Neubert
I have nothing to add to the letters of my hon. Friend the then Under-Secretary of State for the Armed Forces of 9 June 1988, 30 June 1988, 5 August 1988 and 30 September 1988 to the hon. Member on this subject.

§ Mr. Foulkes
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if interceptor aircraft are permitted to fly at less than 250 ft in the Borders tactical training area; and what is the minimum permitted height and maximum permitted speed for interceptor aircraft during interception manoeuvres within the Borders tactical training area.

§ Mr. Neubert
There is no requirement for interceptor aircraft to carry out operational low flying training in the United Kingdom. Interceptor aircraft taking part in interception/evasion exercises are authorised to fly no652W lower than 250 ft minimum separation distance and within the normal speed constraints of the United Kingdom low flying system.

§ Mr. Foulkes
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what date notification of the disestablishment of the Tees-side low-flying avoidance area was sent by his Department to(a) hon. Members and (b) local authorities in the area; and if he will list the parliamentary constituencies and local authorities concerned.

§ Mr. Neubert
As the hon. Member will be aware, when significant changes are made to the United Kingdom low flying system hon. Members whose constituencies are affected are given appropriate notification.

§ Mr. Foulkes
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what consideration has been given to permitting United States and other North Atlantic Treaty Organisation air forces to fly at less than 250 ft in the three United Kingdom tactical training areas.

§ Mr. Neubert
There are no records of foreign military aircraft requesting authority to carry out low flying training in the United Kingdom tactical training areas.

Dr. Thomas
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the replies to the hon. Member for Meirionydd Nant Conwy of 9 November 1987,Official Report, columns 36–37, 20 January 1988, Official Report, column 765, and 10 May 1989, Official Report, columns 474–5, on what assumed average number of movements per sortie the figures for low-flying sorties in the years 1985, 1986, 1987 and 1988, as recalculated by the pre-1985 method of estimating sorties from numbers of movements, were based; and if he will make a statement.

§ Mr. Neubert
[pursuant to the reply of 20 July 19891: The answer is 2.5.