HC Deb 12 December 1996 vol 287 cc340-3W
Mr. Redmond

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what aircraft types are permitted to carry out air-to-air refuelling at the lowest notified altitudes in areas 10 and 12. [8602]

Mr. Soames

RAF tankers Tristar, VC10K and VC10 C Mk1K and receiver aircraft VC10, Hercules, Tornado, Harrier, Sea Harrier, Jaguar, Nimrod and Sentry are permitted to carry out air-to-air refuelling exercises at the lowest notified altitudes in areas 10 and 12.

Mr. Rogers

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the locations of breaches of low flying regulations in each year since 1992; and in each case what disciplinary action was taken against the aircrew responsible. [8522]

Mr. Soames

Details of breaches in 1992 are not recorded centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Details of breaches and disciplinary action taken for 1993 are given in the seventh report of the Defence Committee, HC 314, "Low Flying; Follow-up to the Fifth Report of Session 1989–90", Session 1993–94, on low flying, pages 35 to 36, and in the answer that I gave to the hon. Member for Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley (Mr. Foulkes) on 5 December 1994,Official Report, column 112. I refer the hon. Member to the answers that I gave to the hon. Member for Don Valley (Mr. Redmond) on 22 November 1995, Official Report, column 1042 and to the hon. Member for Meirionydd Nant Conwy (Mr. Llwyd) on 18 April 1996, Official Report, column 578, for 1994 and 1995. The following additional breaches of low flying regulations in 1995 have been confirmed by RAF police investigations since the latter date and, unless stated otherwise, a lateral breach of the avoidance area listed occurred in each case.

Date Location Numbers and types of A/C Nationality Nature of breach
22 May Billinge, Lancs. 1 × Tornado TTTE Unauthorised flight within LFA8 of the UKLFS
21 September Full Sutton E. York. 3 × Hercules Belgian Air Force Full Sutton Airfield avoidance area
21 September Full Sutton 3 × Hercules Belgian Air Force Unauthorised flight within LFA11 of the UKLFS
21 November Bicester, Oxon 1 × F15 USAF Overflew Bicester, a town listed for avoidance
20 December Caerlaverock, Dumfries and Galloway 1 × Tornado RAF Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust avoidance area

In the case where the nationality is shown as 711"1'E, the aircraft came from the tai-national Tornado training establishment at RAF Cottesmore which trains aircrew of the Royal Air Force, German air force and Italian air force using aircraft provided by all three nations.

Formal disciplinary action under the service discipline Acts has been taken in one of the cases listed above. The pilot of the Tornado responsible for the breach at Billinge, Lancashire on 22 May was dealt with under summary procedures and pleaded guilty to one charge, contrary to section 69 of the Air Force Act 1955, of conduct to the prejudice of good order and Air Force discipline for which he was reprimanded and fined.

In cases involving UK aircrew where formal disciplinary action is not appropriate, individuals may be interviewed by their station commander or other appropriate senior officer. Such action could be recorded on individual's career records and affect flying status and promotion prospects, but it is not our policy to release details of such action. It is also the responsibility of senior officers to ascertain what lessons can be learnt from such incidents. Central records are not maintained.

Reports on breaches by foreign aircrew are passed to the relevant national authorities, with whom responsibility for any further action rests.

Details of confirmed breaches for 1996 have yet to be collated.

Mr. Redmond

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what are the maximum manoeuvres permitted by a military aircraft which is subjected to(a) a pre-briefed and (b) an unbriefed interception by a fighter aircraft in the United Kingdom airspace while flying (i) in the military low flying system (ii) between 2,000 and 5,000 ft and (iii) above 5,000 ft. [8603]

Mr. Soames

The maximum manoeuvres permitted vary according to the type of military aircraft being flown.

Mr. Redmond

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what changes have been made since August 1995 to flow control in the low flying system in the area between Northampton and Sywell airfield; and what were the reasons for those changes. [8588]

Mr. Soames

Due to the urban expansion of Northampton north-eastwards towards Northampton/Sywell airfield, the area between these locations is no longer available for military low flying and the unidirectional flow has therefore been removed.

Mr. Redmond

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what changes have been made since August 1995 to flow control in the low flying system in the area between Doncaster and Sandtoft airfield; and what were the reasons for those changes. [8601]

Mr. Soames

Following the closure of the military air traffic zone around RAF Finningley on 1 October 1995, a north-north-westerly unidirectional flow was introduced in the gap between the Sheffield transit area and Sandtoft airfield to improve flight safety at low level.

Mr. Redmond

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what instructions are contained in the "UK Military Low Flying Handbook" concerning the use by aircrew transiting the gap between Newcastle and Spadeadam of an air traffic radar service from RAF Spadeadam. [8589]

Mr. Soames

None.

Mr. Redmond

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what changes have been made since August 1995 to flow control in the low flying system in the Bedford area; and what was the reasons for those changes. [8591]

Mr. Soames

Due to a reduction in the amount of controlled airspace around Bedford airfield, airspace to the north of Bedford town became available for military low flying. To improve flight safety at low level, a westerly unidirectional flow was introduced between these two locations.

Mr. Redmond

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to publish the results of the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency study of the probability of mid-air collisions in the low-level airspace; and when. [8599]

Mr. Soames

We will respond to the air accidents investigation branch—AAIB—once we have received DERA's report and have had the opportunity to consider it fully. Our response to the AAIB will be a matter of public record.

Mr. Redmond

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the dates of those accidents to Jaguar, Harrier and Tornado aircraft since 1990 which the subsequent inquiry concluded would have been prevented if ground proximity warning systems had been fitted to the aircraft. [8586]

Mr. Soames

It is not possible to report which accidents might have been avoided by installation of a ground proximity warning system as such hypothetical assessments fall outside the terms of reference of RAF boards of inquiry.

Mr. Redmond

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what changes have been made since August 1995 to the structure of the low flying system in the Salisbury plain area; and what were the reasons for those changes. [8592]

Mr. Soames

The previous boundaries of low flying areas 1A, 1B and IC used a mixture of geographic features and lines of latitude and longitude to delineate the areas. Changes were made in April and August 1996 so that significant line features such as the M4, A34, A41 (T) and other roads were adopted as boundaries to facilitate the management and conduct of low-level helicopter operations.