Low Flying Mr. Llwyd To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 20 December 1994, Official Report, column 1186, if he will list the date, location, type and nationality of aircraft involved, and circumstances of each of the breaches of low flying regulations over Wales in 1992, 1993 and 1994; and if he will provide similar details for the period since his previous reply. [37609] Mr. Soames Details of breaches of military low flying regulations over Wales confirmed by RAF police investigations are as follows: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Date |Location |Numbers and type of A/C|Nationality |Nature of breach | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |1992 | | | | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |22 January |Welshpool, Powys |2x Sea Harrier |RN |Welshpool Airport avoidance area | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |3 February |Talgarth, Powys |1x Hawk |RAF |Black Mountain Gliding Club avoidance | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |4 February |Welshpool, Powys |2x Jaguar |RAF |Welshpool Airport avoidance area | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |10 February |Welshpool, Powys |1x Jaguar |RAF |Welshpool Airport avoidance area | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |21 April |Bodelwyddon, Clwyd |1x Fi111 |USAF |Glan-Clwyd hospital avoidance | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |21 May |Welshpool, Powys |1x A10 |USAF |Welshpool Airport avoidance area | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | | |RAF avoidance| | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |23 June |Welshpool, Powys |1x Tornado |area |Welshpool Airport | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |1993 | | | | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |22 March |Ruabon, Clwyd |1x F15 |USAF |Monsanto Chemcial Works avoidance | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |16 July |Welshpool, Powys |1x Tornado |RAF |Welshpool Airport avoidance area | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |19 July |Builth Wells, Powys |1x Harrier |RAF |Royal Welsh Agricultural Show temporary avoidance | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |21 July |Builth Wells, Powys |1x Harrier |RAF |Royal Welsh Agricultural Show temporary avoidance | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |1994 | | | | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |17 January |Ruabon, Clwyd |1x Hercules |RAF |Monsanto Chemical Works avoidance | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |17 May |Near Hay-on-Wye, Powys|1x Hawk |RAF |Hay Bluff Hang Gliding site avoidance area | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |1 June |Near Hay-on-Wye, Powys|2x F15 |USAF |Hay Bluff Hang Glidng site avoidance area | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |1 June |Near Hay-on-Wye, Powys|2x F15 |USAF |Flying in UK Low Flying System outside of allocated times| ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |23 June |Near Hay-on-Wye, Powys|1x Hawk |RAF |Hay Bluff Hang Gliding site avoidance area | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |20 July |Ruabon, Clwyd |1x Tornado |RAF |Monsanto Chemical Works avoidance | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |28 July |Near Hay-on-Wye, Powys|1x F15 |USAF |Hay Bluff Hang Gliding site avoidance area | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |28 July |Near Hay-on-Wye, Powys|1x Hercules |RAF |Hay Bluff Hang Gliding site avoidance area | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |4 August |Glyn-Neath, Dyfed |2x F15 |USAF |Royal National Eisteddfod temporary avoidance area | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |9 August |Near Hay-on-Wye, Powys|2x Hawk |RAF |Hay Bluff Hang Gliding site avoidance area | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |13 September|Bridgenorth |2x F15 |USAF |Unauthorised flight within night UKLFS | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The total of seven breaches in 1992 is one lower than identified in the answer to the hon. Member on 20 December 1994, Official Report, column 1186. The latter answer incorrectly included one incident involving flight through an area notified as a warning to aircrew rather than as a mandatory avoidance. Mr. Llwyd To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 20 December 1994, Official Report, column 1186, if he will make a statement on (a) the disciplinary actions taken against aircrew involved in each of the breaches of low flying regulations over Wales during 1994 and (b) the lessons learned from each incident. [37610] Mr. Soames None of the confirmed breaches by United Kingdom aircrew resulted in court martial or summary proceedings under the service discipline Acts. Such action is rare and is generally appropriate only if a breach of regulations resulted from negligence, indiscipline or a disregard for the rules. However, where formal disciplinary action is not appropriate, aircrew who have breached regulations 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. It is not our policy to release details of such action. It is also the responsibility of senior officers to ascertain what lessons there are to be learnt from such incidents; central records are not maintained. Mr. Llwyd To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the locations and dates of periods of covert monitoring of low-flying operations conducted by Royal Air Force police since 30 April 1993. [37535] Mr. Soames Since 30 April 1993 the RAF police have carried out covert surveys of military low flying at the following locations: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Date |Location | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |1993 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |8–10 June |Pateley Bridge, North Yorkshire | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |22–24 June |Llandrindod Wells, Powys | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |21–25 June |Norwich, Norfolk (Skyguard deployment) | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |6–8 July |Ffrwdgrech, Brecon Powys | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |12–15 July |Lake Bala, Gwynedd (Skyguard deployment) | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |24–26 August |Wye, Kent | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |20–24 September |Thurso, Caithness and Sutherland (Skyguard deployment)| ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |27 September-1 October|Alnmouth, Northumberland (Skyguard deployment) | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |26–29 October |Chirnside, Berwickshire (Skyguard deployment) | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |23–26 November |Hornby, Lancashire (Skyguard deployment) | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |7–10 December |Daventry, Northamptonshire (Skyguard deployment) | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |1994 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |25–27 January |Colchester, Essex | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |5–18 February |Barnard Castle, County Durham (Skyguard deployment) | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |22–25 March |Lockerbie, Annandale and Eskdale (Skyguard deployment)| ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |26–29 April |Broadway, Hereford and Worcester (Skyguard deployment)| ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |24–27 May |Heckington, Lincolnshire (Skyguard deployment) | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |28–30 June |Haddington, Lothian | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |12–15 July |Sandback, Cheshire (Skyguard deployment) | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |23–26 August |Crediton, Devon (Skyguard deployment) | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------ |Date | ------------------------ |20–23 September | ------------------------ |18–20 October | ------------------------ |1–4 November | ------------------------ |29 November-1 December| ------------------------ |1995 || ------------------------ |1–3 February | ------------------------ |20–23 February | ------------------------ |7–9 March | ------------------------ |27–30 March | ------------------------ |4–6 April | ------------------------ |25–27 April | ------------------------ |4–5, 9–10 May | ------------------------ |9–12 May | ------------------------ |15–18 May | ------------------------ |13–16 June | ------------------------ |20–23 June | ------------------------ |5–8 September | ------------------------ |18–22 September | ------------------------ |17–20 October | ------------------------ Mr. Llwyd To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has had with the NATO authorities concerning the potential use of the airspace of Partnership for Peace countries for low-flying training by the Royal Air Force. [37538] Mr. Soames There have been no such discussions. Mr. Llwyd To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many complaints were received about disturbance from military aircraft at the national eisteddfod in summer 1995. [37542] Mr. Soames My Department received one complaint about disturbance from military aircraft at the royal national eisteddfod between 5 and 12 August 1995. Mr. Llwyd To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many operational low-flying movements were authorised into each of the three tactical training areas in each month from September 1993 to the latest available date. [37546] Mr. Soames The number of operational low-flying movements authorised into each of the three tactical training areas in each month from September 1993 to August 1995, inclusive, is set out in the table: ----------- | | ----------- |1993 |||| ----------- |September| ----------- |October | ----------- |November | ----------- |December | ----------- |1994 |||| ----------- |January | ----------- |February | ----------- |March | ----------- |April | ----------- ----------- | | ----------- |May | ----------- |June | ----------- |July | ----------- |August | ----------- |September| ----------- |October | ----------- |November | ----------- |December | ----------- |1995 |||| ----------- |January | ----------- |February | ----------- |March | ----------- |April | ----------- |May | ----------- |June | ----------- |July | ----------- |August | ----------- Mr. Llwyd To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what measures are taken to ensure that information on equestrian events, with particular reference to horse race meetings, is obtained by his Department for onward transmission to aircrew planning low-flying sorties. [37536] Mr. Soames My Department does not seek to obtain information on such events. The organisers may, however, apply for a temporary avoidance area and, given reasonable notice, we make every effort to accommodate such requests. Mr. Llwyd To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the minimum permitted altitude for Royal Air Force aircraft flying in Danish airspace (a) on routine training sorties from bases outside Denmark, (b) on routine training sorties conducted during deployments to Danish air bases and (c) during NATO exercises. [37540] Mr. Soames Royal Air Force aircraft may, with the prior approval of the Danish authorities, fly in Danish airspace down to an altitude of 2,000 ft over populated areas and down to 1,000 ft over non-populated areas; flying down to 500 ft may also be authorised within designated exercise areas. Mr. Llwyd To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many complaints were received by his Department from addresses in (a) England, (b) Wales and (c) Scotland in each month since January 1994. [37543] Mr. Soames The numbers of inquiries and complaints relating to military low flying received by my Department since January 1994 from addresses in England, Scotland and Wales were as follows: ----------- |Month | ----------- |1994 |||| ----------- |January | ----------- |February | ----------- |March | ----------- |April | ----------- |May | ----------- |June | ----------- |July | ----------- |August | ----------- |September| ----------- ----------- |Month | ----------- |October | ----------- |November | ----------- |December | ----------- |1995 |||| ----------- |January | ----------- |February | ----------- |March | ----------- |April | ----------- |May | ----------- |June | ----------- |July | ----------- |August | ----------- |September| ----------- In addition, my Department has received a number of inquiries and complaints about other matters, details of which are not held centrally. Mr. Llwyd To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his current policy on the retention in departmental records of the minutes of meetings of the military low flying management group; and what changes in that policy have taken place since 1979. [37537] Mr. Soames The minutes of the military low flying management group are placed on registered departmental files which are then reviewed in accordance with the provisions of the Public Records Acts of 1958 and 1967 and selected for retention or destroyed. Given that the group deals with short-term management issues, the minutes of its meetings do not record the discussion of issues which would justify their permanent retention. There has been no change in this policy since 1979. Mr. Llwyd To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if the crew of the Tornado involved in the infringement of the Welshpool airport avoidance area on 16 July 1993 were found (a) to have been using a low flying chart marked with the January 1993 western extension to low ------------------------------- |Ex name | ------------------------------- |1992 ||||| ------------------------------- |Red Flag 92-2 | ------------------------------- |Cope Thunder/Distant Frontier| ------------------------------- | ||| ------------------------------- | ||| ------------------------------- |Red Flag 93-1 | ------------------------------- | ||| ------------------------------- | ||| ------------------------------- | ||| ------------------------------- |1993 ||||| ------------------------------- |Cope Thunder/Distant Frontier| ------------------------------- | ||| ------------------------------- | ||| ------------------------------- | ||| ------------------------------- |Maple Flag | ------------------------------- |Red Flag 94-1 | ------------------------------- | ||| ------------------------------- |1994 ||||| ------------------------------- |Red Flag 94-2 | ------------------------------- |Maple Flag | ------------------------------- |Cope Thunder/Distant Frontier| ------------------------------- | ||| ------------------------------- | ||| ------------------------------- |Air Warrior | ------------------------------- flying area 9 and (b) to have obtained an authorisation to fly in low flying area 9. [37545] Mr. Soames The low flying chart current on 16 July 1993 reflected the westward extension to low flying area 9. The RAF police investigation did not establish whether the aircrew involved in the infringement of Welshpool airport were using a current chart. The aircrew had not planned to fly in low flying area 9 and had not obtained authorisation to do so.