§ Mr. MartlewTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the pattern of military low flying activity in the United Kingdom during 1997. [37361]
§ Mr. SpellarMilitary low flying training continues to be a necessary contribution to our defence capabilities. The amount carried out in 1997 was about 5 per cent. lower than in 1996, measured in terms of hours booked, reflecting current requirements and commitments. The distribution across the country has not changed significantly. We try to spread the activity as widely as possible, but a variety of operational, geographic and climatic constraints inevitably mean that some areas continue to see a greater intensity than others.
I have today placed in the Library of the House a paper giving a detailed account of the pattern of activity. Further copies can be obtained from the following address:
446W
- Secretariat (Air Staff) 2
- Ministry of Defence
- Room 8247
- Main Building
- Whitehall
- London SW1A 2HB.