§ Mr. LlwydTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the low-flying areas in the United Kingdom which are not under the direct controlling authority of RAF West Drayton; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. HanleyThe following low-flying areas within the United Kingdom are classified as dedicated user areas: LFA 1, LFA 3, LFA 9, LF.A 10, LFA 13 and LFA 19. Use of these areas for low flying is co-ordinated locally, except when the local co-ordinating authority is closed in which case control reverts to the tactical booking cell at RAF West Drayton. All other LFAs are controlled from RAF West Drayton at all times.
§ Mr. LlwydTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if the low-flying area boundaries in use for daytime flying are also used for the night low-flying system.
§ Mr. HanleyNo. the United Kingdom low-flying system is based on a different set of low-flying areas which apply to daytime flying. As I told the hon. Member for Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley (Mr. Foulkes) on 25 October,Official Report, col 485, a map of the United Kingdom night low-flying system is in the Library of the House.
§ Mr. LlwydTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many aircraft movements into the highlands restricted area were booked in each year since 1981.
§ Mr. HanleyIt is not our practice to publish detailed information on activity in individual low-flying areas.
§ Mr. LlwydTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many low-flying sorties were undertaken in the United Kingdom low-flying system in the period between sunset plus 30 minutes and sunrise minus 30 minutes, in each year from 1987 to 1992.
§ Mr. HanleyStatistics on low-flying sorties during the period of the day specified are not available. Statistics on sorties flown in the United Kingdom night low-flying system are, however, available from July 1989 on wards and are given in the table:
Sorties 11989 1,601 1990 3,709 1991 2,066 1992 3,520 1 July to December
§ Mr. LlwydTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what are the requirements for individual air force flying units or stations to provide statistics to the military air traffic organisation on the use made of each low-flying area.
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§ Mr. HanleyIn general, statistics on the use of low-flying areas are compiled from information provided by the tactical booking cell at RAF West Drayton and there is no requirement for individual units to provide statistics to HQ military air traffic operations. The following units or flying stations, which are the co-ordinating authorities for dedicated user areas within the United Kingdom low-flying system or which have a dispensation to operate in their local low-flying area without pre-booking through TBC, are however, required to submit statistics on a monthly basis:
- RAF Benson
- RAF Chivenor
- RNAS Culdrose
- RAF Leuchars
- RAF Lossiemouth
- HQ Northern Ireland
- RAF Odiham
- Salisbury Plain Operations Centre
- RAF Spadeadam
- RAF Ternhill
- Wattisham
§ Mr. LlwydTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the locations and dates of currently planned presentations by the RAF low-flying presentation team.
§ Mr. HanleyPresentations by the Ministry of Defence low-flying presentation team are currently planned to take place on Wednesday 3 November 1993 at Staplehurst, Kent and on Thursday 9 December at Morecambe, Lancashire.