§ Mr. Ian BruceTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what safety arrangements are made at Lulworth ranges when naval gunnery support exercises are being carried out; if the public are allowed to be present on the ranges; if boats, ships and swimmers are excluded from the maritime restriction zone; and if safety boats are in attendance. [21263]
§ Mr. SoamesSafety is the paramount consideration in conducting naval gunfire support training. Safety procedures involve a number of distinct and independent checks which must all be completed before the commanding officer can give approval to fire. The area is also monitored visually by military observers, and by a range safety craft. These measures are designed to ensure the safety of all marine users in the area. It is a feature of NGS training that the Royal Navy vessel works around all other marine activity, and thus there is no question of any exclusion zones, whether for vessels or for people. Similarly, NGS training at Lulworth does not affect public access to the landward coastline and environs of Lulworth at all. Only when the range is active for Army tank firings is access on land or to sea controlled.