HC Deb 14 December 1993 vol 234 cc625-6W
Mr. Redmond

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what categories of damage are included in aircraft accident rates per 10,000 flying hours listed in "UK Defence Statistics 1993", table 3.8; and if the recalculation of the numbers of accidents referred to in footnote 1 to table 3.8 applies to Royal Navy and Army aircraft as well as those of the Royal Air Force.

Mr. Hanley

The categories of damage included in aircraft accident routes per 10,000 flying hours noted in UK Defence Statistics 1993, table 3.8, are categories 4 and 5. No recalculation was necessary for Royal Navy or Army aircraft.

Mr. Redmond

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence in what form the data on aircraft accidents and accident rates forming the basis of table 3.8 of the publication "United Kingdom Defence Statistics 1993" were supplied by the service safety organisations to his Department's statistical services; and what are the differences in format since the 1992 edition of the document.

Mr. Hanley

Data on serious aircraft accidents are passed to the Defence Analytical Services Agency by signal immediately after the event. Written confirmation of the contents of tables 3.8 and 3.9 is sought from the service flight safety organisations before publication of "Defence Statistics". Flying hours, by aircraft type, are provided by the services.

There are no differences in the formats of table 3.8 and 3.9 since the 1992 edition.

Mr. Redmond

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence why aircraft accident rate information for the years 1975 and 1980, in table 3.8 of "United Kingdom Defence Statistics 1993", is only available for some aircraft types; what records exist within his Department on the number of flying hours and the number of major accidents for each aircraft type for the years 1975 and 1980; and what plans he has to include additional information in the 1994 edition of "United Kingdom Defence Statistics".

Mr. Hanley

There are no plans to include additional information in table 3.8 of the 1994 edition of the United Kingdom Defence Statistics.

The accident rate information for 1980 in table 3.8 of United Kingdom Defence Statistics 1993 is complete. The numbers of accidents in 1975 in each service are published in the first part of table 3.8. The flying hours for individual aircraft types flown by the Royal Navy and Army are not readily available.