Mr. Alan W. WilliamsTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what implications the cancellation of tactical air-to-surface missiles have for the need to conduct low flying exercises.
§ Mr. HanleyNone.
Mr. Alan W. WilliamsTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much has been claimed in total in compensation to farmers in Wales for loss of livestock, abortion and loss of production caused by low-flying aircraft; how much of this total is of disputed claims; how much has been settled; and how much remains to be settled for each year since 1980.
§ Mr. HanleyThere can be no meaningful total of amounts initially claimed, because many claims are unquantified at the outset and may be repudiated without valuation. Settlement is reached after a process of valuation, usually on independent advice, and in consultation with the claimant. Reliable data on settlements are available only from 1988 onwards and since then the Ministry of Defence has paid the following amounts of compensation to farmers in Wales for livestock losses which have been attributed to low flying military aircraft activity: 625W
£ 1988 30,228 1989 31,584 1990 47,953 1991 59,160 1992 33,153 1993 30,000
Mr. Alan W. WilliamsTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement summarising the results of ground-level noise measurements for aircraft involved in low flying sorties; and what changes there have been in the amount of noise nuisance since 1980.
§ Mr. HanleyA series of trials, known as Exercise Luce Belle, to measure noise on the ground arising from military aircraft flying at low level has taken place at RAE West Freugh since 1990. The results of these trials have shown that at the speeds and heights normally flown in the United Kingdom low flying system no aircraft type generates a noise level on the ground in excess of 125 dB(A), a level at which research has indicated there is no significant risk to human hearing. A copy of the report on the first trial, which covered the main aircraft types, is available in the Library of the House. As my hon. Friend the Member for Lincoln (Mr. Carlisle) announced to the House on 14 October 1991,Official Report, column 115, we aim to have reduced the amount of low flying by jet aircraft in the United Kingdom by around 30 per cent. by the end of this year.
Mr. Alan W. WilliamsTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the mean(a) height above the ground and (b) velocity for aircraft during low flying sorties, and what change there has been in these figures since 1980.
§ Mr. HanleyThe information requested is not available.
Mr. Alan W. WilliamsTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the average length of time from initial receipt of a claim to its payment by his Department in processing claims for compensation to farmers in the United Kingdom for loss of livestock, abortion and loss of production caused by low-flying aircraft.
§ Mr. HanleyThe time from claim to payment can vary greatly and as the data required to calculate an average length of time is not readily available, the information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Alan W. WilliamsTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much has been paid out in compensation to farmers in the United Kingdom for loss of livestock, abortions and loss of production caused by low-flying aircraft during each year since 1979.
§ Mr. HanleyReliable data are available only from 1988 onwards. Since then the Ministry of Defence has paid out the following amounts in compensation to farmers in Great Britain—United Kingdom excluding Northern Ireland—for livestock losses caused by low flying military aircraft:
626W
£ 1988 273,934 1989 160,039 1990 254,683
£ 1991 293,301 1992 230,312 1993 299,503