RAF Greenham Common (Hansard, 1 March 1990)

§ Mr. Cohen
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Ministry of Defence police person-days are involved in(a) escorting vehicles involved in an off-base dispersal exercise in support of the ground-launched cruise missile system from Greenham Common to the Salisbury Plain training area, (b) guarding the Salisbury Plain training area for the duration of the exercises and (c) escorting the vehicles for their return to RAF Greenham Common.

§ Mr. Archie Hamilton
It is not the practice, for operational and security reasons, to give information of this kind.

§ Mr. Cohen
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many off-base dispersal exercises in support of the ground-launched cruise missile system at RAF Greenham Common are scheduled for the next 12 months.

§ Mr. Archie Hamilton
These exercise deployments will continue for about a further year until the withdrawal of ground-launched cruise missiles is substantially complete. However, for operational and security reasons it is not the practice to give details of future such exercises.

§ Mr. Cohen
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many off-base dispersal exercises in support of the ground-launched cruise missile system at RAF Greenham Common there have been in the last 12 months.

§ Mr. Archie Hamilton
Eleven.

§ Mr. Cohen
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list all areas of special use airspace within 15 miles of RAF Greenham Common.

§ Mr. Neubert
The following categories of "special use" airspace lie within 15 miles of RAF Greenham Common: airways and the London terminal manoeuvring area, military aerodrome traffic zones, restricted areas and a military avoidance area.
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§ Mr. Cohen
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if he will make a statement on the implications for flight safety of the existence of(a) a Hilton hotel and (b) a Tesco superstore under the flight path at the western end of the runway at RAF Greenham Common;
(2) whether his Department was consulted before planning permission was given by Newbury district council for (a) a Hilton hotel and (b) a Tesco superstore under the flightpath at the western end of the runway at RAF Greenham Common.

§ Mr. Neubert
In both cases the Ministry of Defence was consulted before planning permission was given but, as the established criteria for safe runway use of RAF Greenham Common were satisfied, no objection was raised.

§ Mr. Cohen
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the implications for flight safety of the unreported light civil air traffic in the area of RAF Greenham Common.

§ Mr. Neubert
All aircraft in the immediate vicinity of RAF Greenham Common come under the control of the base's air traffic controllers. I know of no problems concerning civilian light aircraft.

§ Mr. Cohen
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will state the reasons why no practice approaches are allowed at RAF Greenham Common.

§ Mr. Neubert
There is currently no operational requirement for aircraft to make practice approaches to RAF Greenham Common.

§ Mr. Cohen
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will state what restrictions there are for aircraft using visual flight rules landing on runway 29 at RAF Greenham Common.

§ Mr. Neubert
No general restrictions apply within the military air traffic zone at RAF Greenham Common, but the air traffic controllers at the base will regulate the use of runway 29 according to circumstances prevailing at the time.

§ Mr. Cohen
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if his Department has formulated a disaster response plan for responding to an accident involving an aircraft crashing into(a) a Hilton hotel or (b) a Tesco superstore under the flightpath at the western end of the runway at RAF Greenham Common.

§ Mr. Neubert
Like other operational RAF stations, RAF Greenham Common has formulated accident response plans, covering accidents both on and off the base. These are co-ordinated as appropriate with the local authority and local emergency services.

§ Mr. Cohen
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if the ground-launched cruise missile system at RAF Greenham Common is still subject to NATO unit assessments.

§ Mr. Archie Hamilton
The ground-launched cruise missile system at Greenham Common will remain subject to NATO evaluation until its withdrawal is complete.

§ Mr. Cohen
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what is the cost per annum to his Department of the ongoing off-base dispersal exercises in support of the ground-launched cruise missile system at RAF Greenham Common;
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(2) what is the cost per annum to the Ministry of Defence police of the ongoing off-base dispersal exercises in support of the ground-launched cruise missile system at RAF Greenham Common.

§ Mr. Archie Hamilton
It is not the practice, for both operational and security reasons, to give information of this kind.

§ Mr. Cohen
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the United States Air Force makes any financial contribution to the costs of escorting vehicles involved in off base dispersal exercises in support of the ground-launched cruise missile system.

§ Mr. Archie Hamilton
Apart from payments in lieu of rates to the local authority in respect of Greenham Common, the United States Air Force does not contribute to meeting the costs incurred by the civil police and Ministry of Defence police in escorting the ground-launched cruise missiles in off-base training deployments.

§ Sir Michael McNair-Wilson
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the Lands Tribunal has started work on deciding levels of compensation for commoners with rights on RAF Greenham Common; and if he will make a statement.

§ Mr. Archie Hamilton
Following our decison to proceed with the full extinguishment of the rights of common over RAF Greenham Common, we have now made a specific offer of compensation to the chairman of the commoners' committee. If we cannot agree appropriate levels of compensation it is then open to either party to refer the case to the Lands Tribunal.