asked the Secretary of State for Defence what prior notification was given to local residents of the controlled detonation of an unexploded practice round at the Royal Air Force range, Tain, on 18 December 1986.

Under the procedures that apply at Tain, notice is given to the local police of such occurrences usually about 24 hours ahead. In this case notification was given to them by telephone on 16 December that a controlled detonation would take place on 18 December. On that day the range authorities reminded the local police of the planned detonation shortly before it was subsequently undertaken.