Low Flying (Hansard, 20 March 1997)

§ Mr. Soames

The analysis has been completed, from which it is clear that, although close attention has been paid to the need to balance military training demands against the avoidance of undue disturbance to the public, variations in the intensity of such activity across the country still exist. Although this is, in part, unavoidable because of operational and geographic factors such as the location of aircraft operating bases, aircraft range, avoidance areas, controlled airspace and weather conditions, we concluded that, even within these constraints, further efforts should be made to manage the activity as equitably as possible.

We therefore intend to improve the way in which the overall amount of low-flying activity is managed and the methods by which detailed statistics are recorded. This latter initiative will be a valuable tool in monitoring the effectiveness of the measures to try to redistribute this activity more equitably. In addition, the three services, individually and collectively, will pay greater attention to the areas that they choose in the UK for military exercises in an effort to spread the low-flying training aspects of them as evenly as practicable. Last summer, we announced measures to spread operational low-flying— that beneath 250 ft—more evenly between the three tactical training areas. Efforts will continue to reduce still further the amount of operational low-flying training. The scope for increasing the amount of low-flying training carried out overseas will be actively pursued. A statement on the distribution of military low flying in the UK low-flying systems will be published annually.

I have today placed in the Library of the House a paper giving a more detailed account of the analysis of the distribution of low-flying activity in the UKLFS. Further copies of the paper can be obtained from the following address:

Ministry of Defence (Room 8247)
Main Building
Whitehall
London SW1A 2HB