Dr. ThomasTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the names, dates and locations of all low-flying exercises conducted over the United Kingdom since 19 May 1989, advance notice of which was given to hon. Members in affected constituencies.
§ Mr. Kenneth CarlisleI will write to the hon. Member.
Dr. ThomasTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what consideration is being given to the creation of new areas in the United Kingdom, additional to the Highlands restricted area, where low flying in instrument meteorological conditions is permitted.
§ Mr. Kenneth CarlisleThe United Kingdom low-flying system is kept under review but there are no plans to create additional areas where low-flying training using terrain following radar can be carried out in instrument meteorological conditions.
Dr. ThomasTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his policy towards deployment of new United States air force aircraft in the United Kingdom which have a greater requirement for night and bad weather low-flying training facilities.
§ Mr. Kenneth CarlisleAny proposal from the United States of America to deploy new United States air force aircraft in the United Kingdom is carefully assessed, taking into account the environmental implications arising from the likely training requirements of the new aircraft.
§ Mr. FoulkesTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the stipulated minimum period of advance notice required by his Department for requests to use the United Kingdom low-flying system by United States air force units not based in the United Kingdom; and what records are kept of such requests and his Department's responses thereto.
§ Mr. Kenneth CarlisleUnited States air force units not based in the United Kingdom that wish to use the United Kingdom low-flying system are required to give at least 30 days' notice. Detailed statistics are not however kept of such requests which are infrequent and dealt with on a case-by-case basis.
§ Mr. FoulkesTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many low-level sorties were undertaken by British military aircraft from Goose Bay, Canada, in 1989; and if he will provide a breakdown of the figure by aircraft type.
§ Mr. Kenneth CarlisleThe information is as follows:
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Sorties C—130 9 Jaguar 321 Tornado GR1 1,415
Sorties Tornado F3 4 1,749
§ Mr. FoulkesTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the nature and cause of the damage sustained by the Buccaneer aircraft, tail number XT276, of No. 16 squadron Royal Air Force, during exercise "Red Flag" in October-November 1981.
§ Mr. Kenneth CarlisleThe nature of the damage sustained by Buccaneer XT276 in October 1981 was a bent lug in the locking mechanism of one of the wings. The cause of the damage is unknown, but it is likely to have occurred when the outer wing section was folded while the aircraft was on the ground.
§ Mr. FoulkesTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence on how many days in each year since 1985 instrument low-flying training operations were authorised in the Highlands restricted area on the same day as operational low-flying training was authorised in the northern Scotland tactical training area.
§ Mr. Kenneth CarlisleI regret that the information requested is not readily available and could not be obtained without disproportionate cost and effort. When, however, low flying using terrain following radar in instrument meteorological conditions is taking place in the Highlands restricted area, other aircraft are excluded.
§ Mr. FoulkesTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the changes to procedures in the United Kingdom low-flying system introduced as a result of the air staff review of low-flying procedures in early 1989.
§ Mr. Kenneth CarlisleThe United Kingdom low-flying system is under continuous review but periodically, a wider and comprehensive study of low-flying procedures is carried out by the air staff. The most recent such study, which was completed in early 1989 confirmed the broad validity of procedures currently in force but introduced minor adjustments to the United Kingdom night low-flying system.
§ Mr. FoulkesTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if toss or dive attacks are permitted during low-level simulated air attacks on active civilian airfields;
(2) what is the stipulated minimum period of advance notice required by his Department for requests to carry out low-level mock attacks on civil airfields in the United Kingdom; and what records are kept of such requests and his Department's responses thereto;
(3) what are the operational training advantages of low-level simulated air attacks by combat aircraft being carried out against active civilian airfields, as opposed to disused airfields or active military airfields;
(4) what is the stipulated minimum period of advance notice required by his Department for requests to carry out low-level mock attacks on military airfields in the United Kingdom; and what records are kept of such requests and his Department's responses thereto.
§ Mr. Kenneth CarlisleI will write to the hon. Member shortly.
§ Mr. FoulkesTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the reason for the omission from his760W Department's evidence to the House Defence Committee inquiry on low flying of the accident involving a Dutch air force F-16 in the North sea off England on 13 June 1986.
§ Mr. Kenneth CarlisleI will write to the hon. Member.
§ Mr. FoulkesTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the lateral radius by which military jet pilots flying below 250 ft are instructed to avoid the village of Dalmellington, Ayrshire.
§ Mr. Kenneth CarlisleIt is not our practice to release detailed information on flying restrictions in individual areas.
§ Mr. FoulkesTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many inert 1,000 lb bombs were dropped by Royal Air Force aircraft during low-level training operations from Canadian forces base Goose Bay in 1989.
§ Mr. Kenneth CarlisleThe answer is 293.
§ Mr. FoulkesTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what were the dates and locations of the RAF navigation and bombing competition, the Salmond trophy, since 1987; how many low-level sorties were flown in each competition, and by which aircraft types; and what advance notification was given to the press and hon. Members of these events.
§ Mr. Kenneth CarlisleI will write to the hon. Member.
§ Mr. FoulkesTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Royal Air Force aircraft, and of which types, have been deployed to Canadian forces base Goose Bay for low-level training in 1990; and what were the dates of each deployment.
§ Mr. Kenneth CarlisleThe information requested is as follows:
Aircraft Type Number Deployment dates Tornado 9 19 April—31 August 6 31 May—28 June Harrier 2 4 September—14 September
§ Mr. FoulkesTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the total number of booked low-flying hours in the United Kingdom in 1989.
§ Mr. Kenneth CarlisleThe total number of flying hours booked at low level in the United Kingdom in 1989 was 111,037.
§ Mr. FoulkesTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the reasons why the United Kingdom military low flying handbook is a classified document.
§ Mr. Kenneth CarlisleThe United Kingdom military low flying handbook provides information the unauthorised disclosure of which would be undesirable in the interests of the nation.
§ Mr. FoulkesTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many detachments of aircraft from RAF Germany have been made to RAF Machrihanish, for the purpose of low-level training, in 1990; and how many low-level sorties were flown during these detachments.
§ Mr. Kenneth CarlisleNone.
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§ Mr. FoulkesTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the radius of the avoidance area for low flying established around Lockerbie immediately following the Pan Am 103 disaster in December 1988; what is the radius of the avoidance area currently in force; and what was the date of any changes to the size of the area.
§ Mr. Kenneth CarlisleI have nothing to add to the reply that my hon. Friend the Member for Romford (Mr. Neubert) gave the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire (Mr. Kirkwood) on 15 May 1989 at column63.
§ Mr. FoulkesTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many low-flying movements were authorised at less than 250 ft in each of the three tactical training areas in 1989; and on how many days during 1989 such flying was authorised in each of the tactical training areas.
§ Mr. Kenneth CarlisleI refer the hon. Member to the reply that he received from my hon. Friend the Member for Romford (Mr. Neubert) on 13 June 1990 at column240.
§ Mr. FoulkesTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the maximum speed permitted in Royal Air Force regulations for Tornado aircraft on low-flying training sorties from Canadian forces base Goose Bay.
§ Mr. Kenneth CarlisleRAF low-flying training sorties from Canadian forces base Goose Bay are subject to Canadian regulations which require aircraft to remain at subsonic speeds in the low-level training areas.
§ Mr. FoulkesTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the stipulated minimum period of advance notice required by his Department for requests to conduct low flying over the United Kingdom at weekends or on public holidays; and what records are kept of such requests and his Department's responses thereto.
§ Mr. Kenneth CarlisleNo particular period of notice is laid down for requests to conduct low-flying training over the United Kingdom at weekends or public holidays but any such flying is kept to a minimum, and is generally in support of the territorial forces or units that are not available at other times. Detailed statistics are not maintained of such requests which are dealt with on a case-by-case basis.
§ Mr. FoulkesTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the locations within the United Kingdom of(a)the Jaguar wire strike incident on 15 June 1979 and (b)the Harrier tree-strike incident on 8 July 1988.
§ Mr. Kenneth CarlisleThe Jaguar wire-strike occurred one nautical mile north of Shipton-on-Stour. The tree strike to the Harrier was not discovered until after the aircraft had landed, and therefore it is not known where the incident occurred.
§ Mr. FoulkesTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the proportion of total low-flying movements in the United Kingdom which occurred in each low-flying area in(a) 1988 and (b) 1989, in the manner provided for earlier years in his Department's evidence to the Defence Committee (HC 120, p. 159).
§ Mr. Kenneth CarlisleAs the Defence Committee indicated in its report (HC 120, paragraph 34), raw762W movement statistics are of limited utility in assessing the relative impact of low-flying in different areas and it is not the general practice to publish information relating to individual low-flying areas. The distribution of low flying movements in the United Kingdom is, however, dependent on deployment and training patterns which do not vary greatly from year to year and the information requested for 1989 and 1988 would be broadly similar to that for 1987.
§ Mr. FoulkesTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many low-flying sorties were carried out over the United Kingdom in each month from January to the latest available date.
§ Mr. Kenneth CarlisleThe number of low-flying sorties flown in the United Kingdom in each month over the period 1 January 1990 to 31 August 1990 is as follows:
Month Sorties 1990 January 11,263 February 10,152 March 16,362 April 10,871 May 13,329 June 11,709 July 13,704 August 11,309
§ Mr. FoulkesTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Royal Air Force aircraft, and of which types, are currently deployed for low-level training at Goose Bay, Canada; and how many low-level sorties the Royal Air Force is expected to carry out there during 1990.
§ Mr. Kenneth CarlisleNone. The number of low-level sorties carried out by the RAF in 1990 is expected to be about 900.
§ Mr. FoulkesTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the change, in percentage terms, in the number of Royal Air Force fast jet pilots qualified to fly at 100 ft between 1979 and 1989.
§ Mr. Kenneth CarlisleI regret that the information requested is not available.