HC Deb 22 October 1993 vol 230 cc368-9W
Mr. Trotter

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what information he has on the number of sorties conducted by(a) foreign aircraft in the United Kingdom low-flying system and (b) United Kingdom aircraft in the low-flying system of other nations over the most recent period for which figures are available.

Mr. Hanley

The number of sorties flown by foreign aircraft in the United Kingdom low-flying system during 1992 was 2,045. During 1993 to the end of September 1,251 sorties have been flown. These figures cover only those sorties flown by foreign aircraft not based in the United Kingdom.

Detailed figures for RAF low flying overseas are not held centrally. A limited amount of information is however, available on low flying carried out by the RAF in Germany and at Goose Bay, Canada. Between April and December 1992 RAF fast jet aircraft flew some 2,400 low-level sorties in Germany, and some 1,800 have been flown so far this year. In 1992 RAF aircraft flew 1,028 low-level sorties at Goose Bay, and 581 have been flown this year.

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