§ Dr. GodmanTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Edinburgh, South (Mr. Griffiths) of 26 February,Official Report, column 75, if he will list where this military training takes place; on which training sites live firing is permitted; and what is the range of the weapons involved.
§ Mr. Archie HamiltonMilitary training takes place at the following locations which are in Ministry of Defence ownership:
Region and Location
- Central
- Cambusbarron
- Grampian
- Blackdog1
- Rosehearty
437 - Highland
- Cape Wrath and Garvie
- Island1
- Fort George1
- Kinlochleven
- Tain
- Lothian
- Dreghorn1
- Kirknewton
- Strathclyde
- Dundonald
- Garelochhead1
- Tayside
- Arbroath
- Barry Buddon1
- Rannoch Forest
- Tighnablair1
- Western Isles
- South Uist1
- St. Kilda
1Locations at which live firing takes place.
Military training also takes place at the following locations over which the Ministry of Defence has training rights:
Region and location
- Dumfries and Galloway
- Galloway
- Grampian
- Auchallater
- Blackdog
- Highland
- Tain
- Lothian
- Dreghorn
- Strathclyde
- Dundonald
- Tayside
- Barry Buddon
- Tighnablair
- Western Isles
- South Uist
It would not be possible to give details of the ranges of all the weapons involved in training in Scotland, some of which are classified. In any event the practice of live firing of weapons can constitute a danger at distances greater than would normally be the range in combat use. The theoretical range of a particular weapon can, if considered alone, give a misleading impression of the practical implications of firing live rounds. All service weapons have an associated safety template which governs the minimum requirement for land where live rounds are to be fired. These templates also take account of the design of the range concerned and the topography of the surrounding land and therefore vary. Live firing is permitted only in locations where sufficient land is available to accommodate the safety templates in full.