HC Deb 05 April 1990 vol 170 c831W
Mr. Redmond

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list, by date and location for the last four years to date, the occasions when a bomb has been accidently released by a Royal Air Force aircrew; and if he will show in his answer(a) the type of aircraft involved and (b) whether it was (i) a live or (ii) a dummy bomb.

Mr. Neubert

There has been one occasion since March 1986 when RAF aircrew accidentally released a weapon outside military range danger areas. This was on 2 March 1988; the aircraft was a Tornado GR1; the weapon was a practice bomb containing only a small "spotting" charge; and it was not found.

Mr. Redmond

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list, by date and location, for the last four years to date, the occasions when a bomb has been accidently released by the aircrew of a NATO air force over the United Kingdom; and if he will show in his answer(a) the air force involved, (b) the type of aircraft and (c) whether the bomb was (i) live or (ii) a dummy one.

Mr. Neubert

We have no record of any bombs being accidentally released over the United Kingdom by the aircrew of other NATO air forces.