§ Mrs. Ray MichieTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will review the number of low-flying sorties over Scotland. [6984]
§ Mr. SpellarAs reported to the House on 20 March(Official Report, column 860), Scotland has received less military low flying than most other parts of the United Kingdom. The geographic distribution of this activity is reviewed annually.
§ Mrs. MichieTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many operational low-flying sorties were authorised in(a) the Highlands, (b) Argyll and Bute and (c) Scotland in each of the last 12 months. [6985]
§ Mr. SpellarOperational low flying is only permitted in three specially designated Tactical Training Areas (TTAs) located in the Borders (which covers southern Scotland and part of northern England and is called Low Flying Area 20T), northern Scotland (called Low Flying Area 14T) and central Wales (Low Flying Area 7T). Argyll and Bute is not located within a TTA and does not see operational low flying. The numbers of operational 489W low flying movements, which equate to sorties in this context, authorised in each of the last 12 months are detailed below. Figures for the movements flown within the part of LFA 20T in Scotland are not recorded separately.
Northern Scotland TTA (LFA 14T) Borders TTA (LFA 20T) 1996 July 15 84 August 6 0 September 54 3 October 130 2 November 44 1 December 47 1 1997 January 0 0 February 23 88 March 32 61 April 150 83 May 96 36 June 7 16
§ Mrs. MichieTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what measures he is taking to reduce the need for low-flying sorties through the use of flight simulators. [6986]
§ Mr. SpellarFlight simulators are extensively used in training but at present they can only complement, not replace, actual experience of low flying. We do, however, continue to monitor closely all developments in simulator technology.