HC Deb 06 May 1993 vol 224 cc238-43W
Mr. Llwyd

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the average duration of a low-flying sortie by a fast jet.

Mr. Archie Hamilton

Approximately 45 minutes.

Mr. Llwyd

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the locations and dates of periods of covert monitoring of low-flying operations conducted by Royal Air Force police since 1987.

1993 Mr. Archie Hamilton

Since 1987 the RAF police have carried out covert surveys at the following locations over the following periods.

Date and location

1987

  • 16–18 March—Banham Zoo
  • 7–9 April—Penrith, Morpeth and Amble
  • 14–15 April—Pickering and Jedburgh
  • 1 June—Peterborough
  • 7–8 July—Redmile
  • 21–24 July—Dumfries and Galloway
  • 21–24 July—Builth Wells
  • 4–6 August—Grindleford Bridge
  • 4–6 August—Alnwick
  • 5 August—Haltwhistle
  • 11–12 August—Leighton Hall, Carnforth
  • 13–14 August—Castle Farm, Devon
  • 19–20 August—Haxby
  • 15–17 September—Scarborough
  • 21–25 September—Ettrick

  • 14–18 March—Amble
  • 25–28 April—Quedgeley and Hardwicke
  • 239
  • 26–27 April—Braunston
  • 7 June—Farndon
  • 14–16 June—Crediton
  • 21–23 June—Kidwelly
  • 22 June—Tumble
  • 27–29 June—Stonehouse
  • 28–30 June—Keswick
  • 12 July—Hexham
  • 12 July—Holmc on Spalding Moor
  • 18–21 July—Builth Wells
  • 26–27 July—Machynlleth
  • 23–25 August—Morpeth
  • 6–8 September—Halesworth
  • 11–13 October—Melrose
  • 18–20 October—Milford Haven
  • Late October/early November—Redburn
  • 15–17 November—Newark/Farndon

  • 6–9 February—Upper Chute, Hampshire
  • 25–27 April—Liskeard, Cornwall
  • 2–4 May—Gloucester
  • 8–11 May—Blencarn, Cumbria
  • 15–19 May—Wigtown, Dunfries and Galloway
  • 22–26 May—Haddington, Lothian
  • 26–30 June—Knaresborough, North Yorkshire (Skyguard deployment)
  • 24–27 July—Earl Shilton, Leicestershire
  • 24–27 July—Market Bosworth, Leicestershire
  • 31 July-4 August-Penrith, Cumbria (Skyguard deployment)
  • 26–27 September—Glan Conwy, Gwynedd
  • 3–5 October—Alnwick, Northumberland(Skyguard deployment)

  • 30 January-1 February—Machynlleth, Powys
  • 5–9 March—Wetheral, Cumbria
  • 25–28 March—Llanrhidian, West Glamorgan
  • 26–30 March—Hereford
  • 26–30 March—Alnwick area, Northumberland Kelso area, Borders (Skyguard deployment)
  • 15–17 May—Melrose, Borders
  • 22–24 May—Inverness and Dingwall, Highlands
  • 25–28 June—St. Mary's Loch, Borders
  • 10–13 July—Glastonbury/Shepton Mallet, Somerset (Skyguard deployment)
  • 17–20 September—Grange over Sands, Cumbria (Skyguard deployment)
  • 1–2 October—Richmond, North Yorkshire (Skyguard deployment)
  • 3–4 October—Leerning, North Yorkshire (Skyguard deployment)
  • 15–18 October—Cosford, Warwickshire
  • 13–15 November—Peterborough, Cambridgeshire (Skyguard deployment)

  • 23–25 April—Richmond/Barnard Castle, North Yorkshire (Skyguard deployment)
  • 14–16 May—Chatteris, Cambridgeshire
  • 4–6 June—Brough, Humberside

Exercise name Exercise dates Exercise location
1987
Gryphon's Gunner 6 March Lincolnshire
Polar Dawn III 7–8 March Norfolk
Key Lift 87 7–15 March North Yorkshire
Quicksand 15–22 March Many areas with centre on Northumberland
Mallet Blow 87/1 6–10 April Northern England/Borders
Priory 87/1 13–15 April Cumbria/Lincolnshire/North East England/ Eastern Scotland
Ardent/Ground 20 April to 10 May Salisbury Plain
Grand Design 25 April to 17 May Salisbury Plain
Hammer 87/1 19 May East Anglia/Northern England/Southern Scotland
Central Enterprise 87 1 June East Anglia/Lincolnshire/North East England/ Scotland
OSEX 14 20–24 July South West Scotland

  • 1–4 July—South Wales Powys (Skyguard deployment)
  • 16–18 July—Northumberland, Morpeth (Skyguard deployment)
  • 22–25 July—Builth Wells, Powys
  • 5–8 August—Hebden Bridge, North Yorkshire
  • 20–22 August—Auldgrith, Dumfries and Galloway
  • 9–12 September—Great Torrington, Devon
  • 23–26 September—Keswick/Kendal, Cumbria
  • 14–17 October—Hexham, Northumberland
  • 22–24 October—Cley/Stiffkey, Norfolk (Skyguard deployment)
  • 4–7 November—Cumbernauld, South Clyde
  • 18–21 November—Melrose, Borders

  • 21–23 January—Market Rasen, Lincolnshire
  • 10–13 February—East Fortune, Lothian (Skyguard deployment)
  • 9–12 March—Duns, Berwickshire (Skyguard deployment)
  • 10–12 March—Oakford, Devon
  • 6–9 April—Newton Stewart, Dumfries and Galloway
  • 7–9 April—Carmarthen, Dyfed (Skyguard deployment)
  • 28–30 April—Malton, North Yorkshire
  • 5–7 May—Carlisle, Cumbria
  • 18–21 May—Dumfries (Skyguard deployment)
  • 8–11 June—Forest of Dean, Gloucester and Hope Under Dinmore, Hereford and Worcester (Skyguard deployment)
  • 29 June 2 July—Beverley/Linley Hill Aerodrome, Humberside (Skyguard deployment)
  • 11–14 August—East Anstey, Tiverton, Devon
  • 21–24 September—King's Lynn, Norfolk
  • 21–24 September—Conan Bridge, Firth, Highlands (Skyguard deployment)
  • 6–7 October—Norwich, Norfolk
  • 3–5 November—Llanyyold, North Wales
  • 17–18 November—Market Deeping, Lincolnshire (Skyguard deployment)
  • 24–26 November—Morpeth, Northumberland

  • 22–26 February—Cockermouth, Cumbria (Skyguard deployment)
  • 22–25 February—Ingleton, North Yorkshire
  • 2–4 March—Midsomer Norton, Radstock, Avon
  • 15–18 March—Stafford
  • 29 March–1 April—Belford, Berwickshire
  • 26–30 April—Hereford (Skyguard deployment)

Mr. Llwyd

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the names, dates and locations of all low-flying exercises conducted in each year since 1987, where advance notice was given to hon. Members in affected constituences.

Mr. Archie Hamilton

In each year since 1987, notice of the following exercises has been given to hon. Members whose constituencies were likely to experience unusual low-flying activity:

Exercise name Exercise dates Exercise location
Roaring Lion 24–31 July Many areas with centre on Salisbury Plain
Mallet Blow 87/2 3–7 August Northern England/Borders
Fast Buzzard 18–25 September Many areas with centre on Salisbury Plain
Hammer 87/2 6 October Northern England/Southern Scotland
Priory 87/2 13–15 October East Anglia/Lincolnshire/North East England/ Eastern Scotland
Mallet Blow 87/3 2–6 November Northern England/Borders
Puple Warrior 4–21 November South West Scotland
1988
Key Lift 88 5–13 March North Yorkshire
Mallet Blow 88/1 14–18 March Northern England/Borders
Red Lanyard 9–12 April Many areas with centre on Salisbury Plain
Elder Forest 88 18–21 April East Anglia/Lincolnshire/Northern England/ Eastern Scotland
Hammer 88/1 10 May Northern England/Southern Scotland
OSEX 15 16–20 May Wales
Roaring Lion 20–26 May Many areas centred on Northumberland
Central Enterprise 6 June East Anglia/Lincolnshire/Northern England/ Eastern Scotland
Fast Buzzard 13–24 July Many areas centred on Salisbury Plain
Mallet Blow 88/2 25–29 July Northern England/Borders
Green Lanyard 1–8 October Many areas with centre on South West Wales
Elder Joust 88 4–6 October East Anglia/Lincolnshire/North Eastern England/South Eastern Scotland
Hammer 88/2 11-October East Anglia/Northern England/Southern Scotland
1989
Red Lanyard 17–23 February Many areas centred on Norfolk
Mallet Blow 89/1 3–7 April Northern England/Borders
Salty Hammer 89 9 May Northern England/Southern Scotland
Equipment Trial 25 April-19 May Northern England/Borders
OSEX 16 10–19 May Wales
Blue Lanyard 89 1–7 June Many areas centred on Norfolk
Roaring Lion 11–26 July Many areas centred on Salisbury Plain
Mallet Blow 89/2 31 July-4 August Northern England and Borders
Elder Joust/Arc 3–5 October Many areas of United Kingdom
Northern Crusade 11–19 October Many areas centred on Borders
1990
Red Lanyard 1/90 21–28 March Many areas centred on Norfolk
Mallet Blow 90/1 26–30 March Northern England and Borders
Elder Forest 23–27 April Many areas of United Kingdom
Stone Warrior 12–24 May South West England centred on Salisbury Plain
Eagles Eye 14–25 May East Anglia
Salty Hammer 22 May Northern England and Southern Scotland
OSEX 90 2–13 July Wales
Red Lanyard 2/90 18–27 July Many areas centred on South West Scotland and Norfolk
Mallet Blow 90/2 30 July-3 August Northern England and Borders
Border fox 17–21 September Borders
1991
Lanyard 2 4–12 March Wales
Elder Joust 22–25 April Northern England
Joint Maritime Course 30 May-8 June South West England
Highland Cardinal 24–28 June Wales
OSEX 1–5 July Wales
Mallet Blow 15–19 July Northumberland
Elder Joust 10–12 September Scottish Borders
North Star 10–12 September Scottish Borders
1992
Elder Forest 9–13 March Northern England
Teamwork 9–13 March Northern England
Highland Cardinal 11–15 May Wales
Salty Hammer 12–13 May Northern England
Pegasus Fury 12–28 May Salisbury Plain
OSEX 18–22 May Wales
Joint Maritime Course 2–11 June Northern Scotland
Lanyard 3 8–21 July East Anglia
Gryphon's Flight 1–10 August Salisbury Plain
Northern Banner 7–11 September Northern England
Winged Crusader 1–14 October Scottish Borders
Joint Maritime Course 2–16 November Northern Scotland
Salty Hammer 4–5 November Northern England

Exercise name Exercise dates Exercise location
1993
Joint Maritime Course 8–18 February Northern Scotland
Lanyard 4 17–25 February East Anglia
Northern Banner 22–26 February Northern England
Exercise Mini Hammer 3–4 March Northumberland
Gryphon's Lift 21–28 April East Anglia
Lanyard 5 12–21 May Northumberland
1 Buccaneer, Harrier, Jaguar, Lightning, Phantom and Tornado.

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