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Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : The summaries of such reports are not published until all relevant investigations, including any coroners' inquests or fatal accident inquiries, are complete. Once these conditions are met, we aim for the earliest possible publication.
NATO
14. Mr. Harry Barnes : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what involvement his Department has had with NATO undercover operations which countenance terrorism.
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Mr. Archie Hamilton : It has been the practice of successive Governments not to comment on operational matters of this nature. But I can assure the hon. Member that neither Her Majesty's Government nor NATO would countenance any operations involving terrorism in any way.19. Mr. Ian Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what role is envisaged for NATO in conciliation arrangements in respect of the conference on security and co-operation in Europe.
Mr. Tom King : The Paris CSCE summit recommended the establishment of mechanisms for the prevention and resolution of conflicts between CSCE participants, including possible conciliation arrangements. These matters will be further discussed shortly but I think it unlikely that NATO as such would have a role in them.
Nuclear Submarines
17. Mr. Andrew F. Bennett : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans have been made for the disposal of the Vanguard class nuclear-powered submarine fleet, subsequent to its decommissioning.
Mr. Alan Clark : The Vanguard class submarines are expected to remain in service until well into the next century.
SA80 Rifle
18. Mr. Martyn Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what problems are being experienced with the use of the SA80 rifle.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : When SA80 entered service experience showed that modifications to certain components would improve the strength and reliability of the weapon whilst retaining the greater accuracy and other advantages of the SA80 over its predecessors. These have been incorporated into a modification programme which is being implemented.
Naval Procurement
20. Mr. Nicholas Brown : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the current naval procurement programme.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : We currently have nine type 23 frigates on order and expect to invite tenders for the next batch within the next few months. Tenders for additional single role minehunters are being assessed ; two auxiliary oiler replenishment vessels are under construction. The Government remain committed to a four-boat Trident force and we have just placed an order for the third Vanguard class submarine. The first Upholder class conventional submarine is undergoing final acceptance trials now and will be accepted into service very shortly. The Sea Harrier capability update and EH101 (Merlin) helicopter programmes are proceeding.
Sea Systems Controllerate
21. Mr. Ian Bruce : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the proposed centralising of the sea systems controllerate with particular regard to the costing and timetable of such a move.
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Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : It remains our intention to collocate the sea systems controllerate as soon as practicable, and with a proper consideration of all the costs.
Sea King Helicopters
22. Mr. Colvin : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to place the order for additional search and rescue Sea King helicopters to replace the Wessex helicopters ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Alan Clark : No decision has yet been taken on a replacement for the Wessex, which continues to make a valuable contribution to the SAR service. As part of our normal equipment planning process, we are considering the case for its replacement. I cannot, at this stage, say whether we shall need new helicopters.
The Gulf
23. Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his latest estimate of the additional costs to his departmental budget caused by the Gulf crisis.
Mr. Tom King : Revised Winter Supplementary Estimates being submitted to the House for approval include £480 million for additional costs so far identified arising from the Gulf crisis.
24. Mr. Jacques Arnold : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the current situation of British forces in the Gulf.
30. Mr. John Marshall : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement about the role of the British troops in the Gulf.
Mr. Tom King : I refer my hon. Friends to the reply that I gave earlier to my hon. Friend the Member for Lancashire, West (Mr. Hind).
Mr. Menzies Campbell : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what boots are being worn by British forces serving under desert conditions in the Gulf ;
(2) whether desert boots have been issued to British forces serving under desert conditions in the Gulf.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : Normal issue combat boots are being worn by British forces in the Gulf for duty purposes, while lightweight boots have been issued for off duty wear. In addition, limited quantities of a new desert combat boot have been trialled, and are currently in production. They will be issued as supplies become available.
Mr. Menzies Campbell : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether British forces serving under desert conditions in the Gulf are required to purchase desert boots for their own use.
Mrs. Mahon : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the current number of fatalities involving British forces serving in the Gulf.
Mr. Nellist : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list, giving such information as is available, those accidents that have occurred so far to British service personnel in the Gulf.
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Mr. Archie Hamilton [holding answer 30 November 1990] : The pilot of a Jaguar aircraft was killed when his aircraft crashed on 13 November. On 30 November a Royal Army Medical Corps corporal serving with 33 field hospital was killed in a shooting incident. There have been a number of other accidents, including one other involving the loss of an aircraft, in which service personnel have been injured, but it would not be practicable to provide a detailed list.Territorial Army
25. Mr. Colin Shepherd : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the current manpower strength of the Territorial Army and Voluntary Reserve.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : As at 30 September 1990 the strength of the Territorial Army, including the home service force, was 74,720.
Armed Services (Insurance)
26. Mr. Michael : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he has taken to ensure that members of the armed services are not disadvantaged when seeking life insurance cover or cover in relation to house purchase as a result of an international situation involving British military interests.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : I refer the hon. Member to the answer that I gave him on 23 November 1990 at column 234.
Trident
27. Mr. Menzies Campbell : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects Trident to be operational.
Mr. Alan Clark : As previously announced, it remains our intention to deploy Trident into operational service in the mid-1990s.
Options for Change"
28. Mr. Pike : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he is taking to reduce the impacts upon local economies following reductions in forces following "Options for Change".
Mr. Alan Clark : Local economic and environmental factors will be taken fully into account.
Nuclear Tests
29. Mr. Hinchliffe : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will now review his policy on compensation to service personnel who are suffering health problems as a result of their involvement in British nuclear tests.
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if, pursuant to the reply to the hon. Member for Leyton (Mr. Cohen) on 20 November, Official Report, column 79, he will set out the number of military and scientific staff sent to the United States of America to supervise and monitor the test ; and if he will indicate to which Government data on the test will be made available, and under what conditions.
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Mr. Archie Hamilton : It is not the practice to give details of United Kingdom personnel who attend such tests. Data from the test is made available to the United States under the terms of the 1958 United States- United Kingdom agreement for mutual co-operation for defence purposes.
RAF Exercises
Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what were the titles, functions of and aircraft types involved in the RAF-sponsored exercises (a) on Salisbury plain between 15 and 19 May, (b) in mid-Wales between 13 and 19 July and (c) in East Lothian between 17 and 21 July.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : The information requested is as follows : (a) Exercise STONE WARRIOR
A combined Royal Air Force and 5 Airborne Brigade tactical exercise, on the occasion of the royal review of 5th Airborne Brigade, involving Hercules aircraft.
(b) Exercise OSEX 90
An offensive air support exercise, involving Harrier, Jaguar, A-10, Tornado and air defence aircraft.
(c) Exercise RED LANYARD 2/90
There is no record of a major Royal Air Force exercise in East Lothian between 17 and 21 July. However, Exercise Red Lanyard 2/90 was then in progress, affecting, among other areas, south west Scotland and the Borders, Red Lanyard 2/90 rehearsed 1st Battalion the Parachute Regiment in its role as the lead parachute battalion of 5th Airborne Brigade and involved Hercules aircraft.
Aircraft Noise
Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the types of aircraft whose noise levels were measured during the noise survey at RAF West Freugh in June 1990 ; and if he will list the range of flying speeds and heights for which noise level data were collected, for each type of aircraft.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : I refer the hon. Member to the answer that my hon. Friend the Member for Romford (Mr. Neubert) gave to the hon. Member for Merionnydd Nant Conwy (Dr. Thomas) on 10 July 1990 at column 191 , which listed those aircraft involved in the survey which are common users of the United Kingdom low-flying system. Additionally, measurements were taken of noise levels from F15 and F16 aircraft which are not common users of the United Kingdom low-flying system. Further details of the survey will be published when results are available.
Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he has any plans to extend the noise insulation grant scheme around military airfields to (a) schools, (b) hospitals and (c) old people's homes.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : The Ministry of Defence's noise insulation grant scheme is designed to provide a measure of relief from the worst effects of military aircraft noise for residents when in their homes. A "home" may be a
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residential home for the elderly or permanent living accommodation in a school or hospital. Apart from that circumstance, accommodation in schools and hospitals is not included within the scope of the scheme. However, as previously announced by my hon. Friend the then Minister for Roads and Traffic on 28 June 1989 at column 475, the possible extension of the statutory schemes (which the Ministry of Defence follows administratively) to include such accommodation is being studied by an inter-departmental group led by the Department of Transport. I understand that the group expect to submit their report in the first quarter of 1991.Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what ear protection was provided to (a) Ministry of Defence personnel and (b) civilian contractor personnel operating noise measurement and tracking equipment on the ground during the military aircraft noise survey at West Freugh in June.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : Appropriate hearing protection was made available to personnel involved in this survey.
Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if the maximum values of single noise events measured during the military aircraft noise survey at West Freugh in June will be published.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : No decision has yet been taken on the format in which the results of this study will be published.
Exercise Border Fox
Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many helicopter low-level sorties were carried out during Exercise Border Fox in September ; and how many of these took place on 16 September.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : A total of 325 hours were flown by helicopters during Exercise Border Fox in September. It is not possible to give a breakdown of the proportion spent at low level ; 16 September fell outside the exercise period and involved minimal flying.
Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the purpose of Exercise Border Fox.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : The purpose of Exercise Border Fox was to practice the conduct of airmobile operations and forward observation.
Low Flying
Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if pilots are permitted to exceed the normal maximum cruising speed in the United Kingdom low-flying system in order to regain their planned timing on low- flying sorties.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : Yes, although this should seldom be necessary since sorties are generally planned at speeds below the normal maximum cruising speed.
Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence at what minimum height the Belgian Air Force aircraft which paid an exchange visit to RAF Wattisham during October were permitted to fly over the United Kingdom.
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Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : Two hundred and fifty feet.
Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the purpose of the low-flying exercise centred on the Spadeadam range, scheduled to take place on 1 November ; what types of aircraft and which units were involved ; and how many sorties took place.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : The exercise centred on the Spadeadam range on 1 November was designed to enable United States Air Force aircraft based in the United Kingdom and continental Europe to undertake electronic warfare training together. Such exercises regularly take place at various bases in Europe.
The types of aircraft involved and their units were : A10s from 10th and 81st Tactical Fighter Wings (TFW) ; F-111s from 48th TFW ; F-4Gs and F-16s from 52nd TFW ; F-15s from 36th TFW ; EF-111s from 42nd ECS (Electronic Combat Squadron) ; and EC-130s from 43rd ECS ; 38 sorties were flown.
No general use of the United Kingdom low-flying system was authorised for non-UK based aircraft.
Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if there have been any instances since 1979 in which a request from an hon. Member for low flying avoidance status to be applied to a location in his or her constituency has been granted.
Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if pilots are permitted to book into low-flying areas in which the actual or forecast cloudbase or visibility do not meet the minima laid down for visual low flying.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : Yes. Authorising officers and air crew are, however, responsible for ensuring that any proposed sortie can be safely carried out in the light of the prevailing weather conditions and in accordance with low-flying regulations.
Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what cuts in Royal Air Force fast jet flying hours have been applied as a result of the defence spending economies announced on 31 July.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : There have been no cuts in flying hours as a result of these measures.
Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what was the purpose of the fast jet low-flying activity scheduled to take place on 2 September in northern England ; what types of aircraft and which units were involved ; how many sorties took place on each day ; and if the Spadeadam range was specially activated for this activity ;
(2) what was the purpose of the fast jet low-flying activity scheduled took take place on bank holiday Monday, 27 August, in northern England and Scotland ; what types of aircraft and which units were involved ; how many sorties took place on each day ; and if the Spadeadam range was specially activated for this activity.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : Low-flying training in northern England and Scotland was exceptionally authorised on bank holiday Monday 27 August and on Sunday 2 September for air crew undertaking training connected with our current commitment in the Gulf. In the event, no such flying took place on either date.
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Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence in what way the southern boundary of low flying area 13 has been altered since July ; and what was the purpose of the alteration.Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : The southern boundary of LFA 13 has been adjusted northwards to remove an area not required for the operation of the RAF Spadeadam range.
Skyguard Radar
Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if any Skyguard radars were involved in the mobile threat emitter equipment deployments listed in his reply to the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire of 31 October, Official Report, column 626.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : Yes, in the deployment to East Lothian between 17 and 21 July 1990.
Aircraft Exercises
Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if aircraft are permitted to release chaff outside Ministry of Defence-owned land in the vicinity of Spadeadam range.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : Yes, in strictly limited quantities and subject to other restrictions imposed in range orders.
Wiley Sike Weapons Range
Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence in what year the dropping of practice bombs on the Wiley Sike air weapons range was first authorised ; and what use of the facility has been made by Royal Air Force aircraft in each year since its establishment.
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Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : The dropping of practice bombs on the Wiley Sike air weapons range was first authorised in 1983. Since then the range has been used by the RAF for this purpose as follows :
|Days
---------------
1983 |4
1984 |9
1985 |4
1986 |6
1987 |4
1988 |6
1989 |15
Fuel Jettisoning Areas
Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the locations of the authorised fuel jettisoning areas for military aircraft in the United Kingdom.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : There are no such specifically authorised areas.
RAF Aircraft (Accidents)
Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list all incidents since August 1989 in which Royal Air Force aircraft have struck objects on the ground during flight but have subsequently landed successfully, giving the date, aircraft type, location and circumstances of each case.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : The information requested is in the table. Occurrences involving helicopters landing or hovering in the field are omitted.
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Date |Aircraft type |Location |Circumstances -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 22 September 1989 |Tornado GR1 |Near Goose Bay, Canada |Tree strike during operational low-flying training sortie 7 December 1989 |Puma |Belize |Hit a single wire at 60 feet while climbing from a forward airstrip 30 January 1990 |Puma |Bomoen, Norway |Hit a logging wire while climbing from a field site with an underslung load 16 August 1990 |Wessex |Northern Ireland |Hit a wire with the tail wheel while climbing from a field landing site 12 October 1990 |Jaguar GR1a |RAF Coltishall |Hit approach lights on landing 23 October 1990 |Tornado GR1 |Northern Scotland |Wire-strike on operational low-flying training sortie 26 November 1990 |Tornado GR1 |Southern Scotland |Wire-strike on operational low-flying training sortie
Shackleton Aircraft
Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if he will list the occasions since 1985 on which Shackleton aircraft have been (a) placed on standby for search and rescue operations and (b) used during search and rescue operations ;
(2) what secondary roles are performed by RAF Shackleton aircraft apart from flare-dropping for search and rescue operations.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : We do not have records of the number of times Shackleton aircraft have been placed on standby for search and rescue (SAR) operations since 1985. The table lists the occasions since 1985 when Shackleton aircraft have been used for SAR operations :
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Date |Mission
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
15 May 1986 |A Shackleton aircraft provided top cover for a
|SAR helicopter after an aircraft ditched in the
|sea.
15 July 1986 |A Shackleton aircraft located an officer who had
|ejected from an RAF Lightning seven
|nautical miles north of Whitby and helped
|direct a SAR helicopter to him.
8 October 1986 |A Shackleton aircraft assisted in the search for
|a missing aircraft.
22-24 April 1987 |Shackleton aircraft flew four missions as on-
|scene commander during the search for the
|wreckage and casualties from an RAF
|Buccaneer which had crashed 30 nautical
|miles east of Wick.
2 and 8 July 1987 |On each occasion a Shackleton aircraft
|provided top cover for a SAR helicopter
|attending an incident at sea.
3 October 1988 |A Shackleton aircraft provided top cover for a
|SAR helicopter attending a medical rescue
|from a boat.
28 October 1988 |A Shackleton aircraft assisted in the search for
|a body at sea.
8 November 1988 |A Shackleton aircraft was used to search for the
|source of a distress signal beacon.
European Fighter Aircraft
Mr. Jack : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement outlining the present and future financing arrangements for Britain's share of the European fighter aircraft costs.
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