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Mr. Hanley : The Ministry of Defence study team, comprising Sir John Blelloch and three other members,
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began work on 1 December this year with the principal aim of reviewing the future role, aims, objectives, structure and pay of the Ministry of Defence police. The team has been requested to present its report to the Chairman of the Ministry of Defence police committee by 1 June 1994. The study was commissioned before the major study of defence costs, announced on 1 December. Sir John's work will be of relevance to the wider study and he will be making his findings available to the Ministry of Defence as his review proceeds.RAF Support and Maintenance Tasks
Mr. Mans : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proposals he has for RAF support and maintenance tasks.
Mr. Hanley : Work continues to be undertaken in the support area to ensure the appropriate balance is maintained with the front line and that tasks are undertaken in the most cost-effective manner. The maintenance group element of RAF support command became a defence agency (MGDA) on 1 April 1991 as part of that process. We are now starting an overall review of the MGDA, to evaluate the agency's past performance and look at options for the future, including abolition, privatisation and contractorisation, in whole or in part, in addition to maintaining the status quo. The review will include
representatives from the OPSS and the Treasury as well as outside consultants. It will take full accoount of the findings of the feasibility study currently under way into the scope for market testing at RAF Sealand. The trade unions have been informed about the review, which is to be
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completed by 30 June 1994. A copy of the terms of reference of the review has been placed in the Library of the House.In the meantime, we have been looking at the potential for undertaking specific support and maintenance tasks more efficiently and cost- effectively in the light of the changing requirement. A study has been completed into the equipment supply depots located at RAF Carlisle, RAF Quedgeley (near Gloucester) and RAF Stafford. There is already excess storage capacity overall at these depots and this will increase as our requirement to hold spares decreases. Our studies have concluded that significant savings of some £85 million over 10 years could be achieved by concentrating technical storage at RAF Stafford, which would mean the closure of RAF Carlisle by 31 March 1997 and the progressive run- down and closure of RAF Quedgeley by 31 March 1998 at the latest. Formal consultation with the Trades Unions and other interested parties will now begin and final decisions will be taken in the light of representations made. A further study has been completed into the avionics
communications-electronics servicing and maintenance depots. This has concluded that appreciable savings could be achieved by transferring the engineering and maintenance tasks currently undertaken at RAF North Luffenham to RAF Sealand. RAF North Luffenham would close by 1 October 1996. I propose to accept this recommendation as the basis for informal consultation with the Trades Unions and other interested parties, subject to any more cost-effective solution than RAF Sealand being identified by the MGDA review.
I am placing a copy of both consultation documents in the Library of the House.
Submarine Operations
Mr. Gallie : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the subfacts scheme for providing fishermen with advance notice of dived submarine operations will be extended to cover the Minches and the Sea of Hebrides ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Hanley : The extension of SUBFACTS into the Minches and Sea of Hebrides will take place on 10 January 1994. On the same date there will be changes in the arrangements for broadcasting SUBFACTS information in the northern parts of the Irish sea and in waters to the west of Scotland. British Telecom marine radio service will transmit SUBFACTS information six times a day, on both VHF and MF, for the entire Clyde subordinate sea area, from Cape Wrath to the Calf of Man. In addition, the Clyde Coastguard will transmit SUBFACTS information six times a day over the Inner Clyde exercise areas, out to a line extending from the Mull of Kintyre to Corsewall Point. Throughout the Clyde subordinate sea area, fishermen will at any time be able to obtain SUBFACTS information on request from HM Coastguard. These revised broadcasting arrangements have been worked out in consultation with the fishing industry safety group, and will be reviewed by the group after 12 months.
Following the extension of SUBFACTS into the Plymouth and Portland exercise areas earlier this year, this latest extension of SUBFACTS meets the Government's commitment to operate the scheme in all regularly used submarine exercise areas around the coast of the United Kingdom. Together with the operational procedures set out
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in the code of practice for submarines which was published in October, it represents an important step forward in maritime safety and will help to minimise the risk of any further incidents between dived submarines and fishing vessels.Support Costs
Lady Olga Maitland : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will give details of the areas which will be examined with a view to reducing support costs in preparation for the study entitled "Front Line First".
Mr. Aitken : I refer the hon. Lady to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for South Shields (Dr. Clark) on 7 December at column 176 .
International Military Services Ltd.
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how he exercised his controlling share holding in International Military Services Ltd.; and how often he asked for, or was given, reports on the activities of this company ;
(2) how he, or his predecessors, exercised their shareholding in International Military Services Ltd.; and what reports of its activities were asked for, or given.
Mr. Aitken : My right hon. and learned Friend and his predecessors have exercised their controlling shareholding in International Military Services Ltd. in the normal commercial way by attending, or being represented at, the annual general meeting of the Company. To facilitate this they have been provided with the statutory consolidated financial statements.
Government Car Service
Mr. Alan Williams : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the annual cost to the Department of the car service for Ministers in 1990-91 ; and how many vehicles were involved.
Mr. Hanley : Five vehicles, including a reserve vehicle for the Secretary of State, were provided for Defence Department Ministers in 1990- 91 at a cost to the defence budget of some £4,200,000.
Emergency Landings, Newcastle Airport
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the dates, aircraft types and nature of the emergency for all emergency or precautionary landings by military aircraft at Newcastle airport during 1992 ; and which of those aircraft were armed with live weapons.
Mr. Hanley : The information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Aircraft Accidents
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the dates, aircraft types and circumstances of all (a) Army and (b) Royal Navy helicopter major accidents in 1987.
Mr. Hanley : The information for all aircraft types is as follows :
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Date |Aircraft |Accident
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
24 February 1987 |Sea King (RN) |Falmouth Bay. Cause not determined.
|Germany. Six minutes into sortie the rotor gear box
18 March 1987 |Lynx (A) |seized.
|Canada. During unauthorised manoeuvre the tail struck
|the ground breaking off the tail boom. A crewman on
16 July 1987 |Gazelle (A) |the ground was fatally injured.
|Culdrose. Tail rotor failure during final approach.
23 September 1987 |Sea King (RN) |Crashed on runway.
|North West coast of Scotland. Aircraft suffered
15 October 1987 |Sea Harrier (RN) |birdstrike during low level sortie.
16 October 1987 |Wessex (RN) |Cornwall. Engine failure during winching exercise.
|Middle Wallop. During sloping ground practice, the
23 October 1987 |Gazelle (A) |the ground.
25 November 1987 |Gazelle (RN) |Predannack. Loss of yaw control during turn.
Jaguar Incident, Solway Firth
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what date the military aircraft accident summary on the accident to a Royal Air Force Jaguar in the Solway firth on 12 September 1990 was released.
Mr. Hanley : On 21 October 1992.
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence at what altitude the accident aircraft's leader was flying at the time of the crash of a Royal Air Force Jaguar in the Solway firth on 12 September 1990.
Mr. Hanley : The aircraft was slightly above 250 ft.
Low flying
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the outcome of the Royal Air Force inspectorate of flight safety's review in 1990 of the potential safety benefits, in respect of bird strike hazards, of introducing speed limits on fast jets operating at low level.
Mr. Hanley : The outcome of the RAF inspectorate of flight safety's review was that speeds during low-level flight should be constrained to that required to achieve the objective of each low-level sortie. No specified limits were either recommended or imposed. In practice, the speed of aircraft operating in the United Kingdom low flying system (UKLFS) is regulated in order to limit noise disturbance to those on the ground. The normal maximum cruising speed overland in the UKLFS is 450 knots.
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what consideration has been given to restricting low flying during peak bird migration months.
Mr. Hanley : The United Kingdom Military Low Flying Handbook contains seasonal information on areas of high bird concentration, and some specific locations are granted permanent or seasonal avoidances. My Department is conscious of the need to keep low-flying military aircraft clear of such concentrations and measures to achieve this are kept under continuous review.
Mr. Llwyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what are the minimum weather requirements for low-level flight at night by fast jet aircraft not equipped with terrain-following radar or electro-optical navigation equipment.
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Mr. Hanley : The minimum weather requirements for low level flight at night by fast jet aircraft not equipped with terrain following radar or electro-optical navigational equipment are the normal visual flight rules for fast jets operating in the United Kingdom low flying system, namely : flight visibility of five kilometres, and 1,500 metres horizontal and 500 feet vertical separation from cloud.
Mr. Llwyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the reason for the increase in the minimum authorised altitude for night low flying over the United Kingdom by US Air Force F111 aircraft from October 1992, from 400 to 1,000 ft.
Mr. Hanley : The decision to increase to 1,000 ft the authorised minimum altitude for USAF F111 aircraft flying at night in the United Kingdom was taken by the USAF in the light of a reassessment of the training needs of the aircrew concerned.
Mr. Llwyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the current minimum authorised altitude for Royal Air Force Tornado aircraft conducting terrain following radar flight in daylight visual meteorological conditions in the United Kingdom low-flying system.
Mr. Llwyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the requests made to his Department for authorisation of low-level jet flying between the hours of 2300 and 0700 since 1988, listing in each case the date of the request, the unit submitting the request, the nature of the flying for which authorisation was sought, and his Department's response to the request.
Mr. Hanley : Such requests and the responses to them are held on departmental files but separate records are not kept. The information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost. It is most unlikely however, that such training would have been authorised other than in a very small number of exceptional cases.
Mr. Llwyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what methods are used by military aircrew to ensure accurate adherence to minimum authorised altitudes during low flying in aircraft not equipped with radar altimeters.
Mr. Hanley : Those training aircraft which are not equipped with radar altimeters make use of the barometric altimeter, which indicates the altitude of the aircraft above mean sea level. From the initial stages of flying training
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students are taught to recognise and maintain their minimum authorised height above the ground ; they will also spend a greater proportion of their time at higher than their authorised minimum levels until they graduate to squadron service.Mr. Llwyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the purpose of the low flying avoidance area around Milford Haven.
Mr. Hanley : It is not my Department's practice to release specific details of the United Kingdom low flying system.
Mr. Llwyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the fast jet types which are authorised to conduct night low flying in the United Kingdom low flying system.
Mr. Hanley : The fast jet types normally authorised to operate in the United Kingdom night low flying system are : Buccaneer, Canberra, F-15, Harrier, Jaguar and Tornado.
Mr. Llwyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what sources of information are made available to military pilots on the location and timing of activities on the ground involving gatherings of large numbers of people, to enable them to observe the regulations concerning overflight of such activities ; and what definition of large number of people is used in applying these regulations.
Mr. Hanley : Temporary avoidances of gatherings of large numbers of people are promulgated by notices to airmen. In this context, a large number of people is defined as 10,000 although temporary avoidances are frequently arranged for events involving significantly fewer people.
Mr. Llwyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the distance from the shore of the United Kingdom beyond which military aircraft operating at less than 2,000ft are not required to book into the low flying system.
Mr. Hanley : Aircraft are not required to book into the United Kingdom low flying system if the low flying element of a sortie takes place over the sea more than three nautical miles from the coastline (half a nautical mile in the case of helicopters and light fixed wing aircraft).
Mr. Llwyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if the planned route of the United States Air Force F-111 aircraft involved in the aircraft proximity hazard incidents at Plymouth airport on 15 October 1992 and 21 October 1992 was a fixed low flying route in use by the unit concerned; and what changes were made to the route following these incidents.
Mr. Hanley : The aircraft involved in the two incidents were operating on a standard route. Both RAF and United States air force air crew use standard routes as little as possible which are in any case replaced at regular intervals.
Mr. Llwyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many sorties are conducted for each student on the Royal Air Force advanced flying training courses at RAF Chivenor and RAF Valley, in which the student is required to navigate at low level to a set of turning points whose locations are not known until after the student boards the aircraft.
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Mr. Hanley : There are two distinct types of exercises which are flown by students.
Handling exercises (in which the student can either fly as a singleton or as part of a formation) are not flown to a pre-planned route, but are dependent on weather conditions, terrain, distance from base and possible flying restrictions. Suitable general areas for flying would however be decided upon before such exercises commenced. A student would fly a total of six sorties of this type. Navigation exercises (again either as a singleton or as part of a formation) are generally flown to a pre-planned set route. During such exercises however students are required to deviate from the planned route to practice self-navigation to a prominent point or to simulate unexpected weather avoidance or a change of tactical planning. On these occasions particular emphasis is placed on avoiding restricted or built-up areas. Students would fly a total of 13 singleton sorties, whilst 11 would be flown as part of a formation.
Mr. Llywd : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to authorise the reduction of the minimum altitude at which Royal Air Force Tornado aircraft are permitted to fly on automatic terrain following radar in inclement meteorological conditions to less than 500 ft.
Mr. Hanley : The restrictions placed on low flying training are kept under review.
Mr. Llwyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what date the eastward directional flow control for low-flying aircrew was introduced in the Clywd valley north of Denbigh.
Mr. Hanley : On 10 August 1992.
Mr. Llwyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if the Harrier pilots trained at the US Marine Corps air station at Yuma, Arizona, retain their qualification to fly at 200 ft at night following completion of the training course.
Mr. Hanley : Any low level qualification gained as part of the overall training at Yuma will last for 90 days. Pilots who do not fly a night sortie in that period have to fly two simulator sorties plus two night time low level sorties to regain their night time low level currency. The minimum height at which Harrier GR7 aircraft would be authorised to fly at night in the United Kingdom would be 250 ft.
Mr. Foulkes : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what regulations are contained in the group air staff orders of No. 1 RAF Strike Command, which supplement the instructions in the UK military low-flying handbook concerning use of the United Kingdom low-flying system.
Mr. Hanley : Headquarters No. 1 group's air staff orders contain regulations governing low flying which are specific to aircraft of that group and which amplify the regulations set out in the United Kingdom military low flying handbook.
Mr. Foulkes : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what requests have been received from foreign air forces since 1990 for permission to fly at less than 250 ft over the United Kingdom ; and what response was given to each request.
Mr. Hanley : A request was received for a small number of USAF aircrew based in the United Kingdom to be
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permitted to carry out a limited amount of Operational Low Flying training in the Welsh tactical training area during December 1990 in preparation for deployment to the Gulf. The request was approved but, in the event, no such training took place. No further requests have been received from foreign air forces since that time.Mr. Foulkes : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion of complaints about low flying in 1992 were withdrawn after the complainant had been interviewed by RAF Provost and Security Service investigators.
Mr. Hanley : The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. However, the hon. Member might wish to know that only a very small number of complaints are withdrawn, although a significantly greater number are not pursued further, at the instigation of the complainant, in the light of information provided during the interview with the RAF Provost and security service investigator.
Mr. Foulkes : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the average time taken by Secretariat (Air Staff) 2b to send initial responses to public complaints about low flying in each year since 1985 ; and what is the current target for the timeliness of such responses.
Mr. Hanley : Such statistics are not maintained and the information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost. In line with the provisions of the citizens charter, the air staff secretariat introduced in July 1991 a target time of four weeks for initial response to complaints from members of the public about low flying. This target has been met in all but exceptional circumstances.
Mr. Foulkes : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what restrictions are placed on the types and locations of simulated targets for mock attacks by Harrier GR7 aircraft during night low-level electro-optical sorties.
Mr. Hanley : The restrictions placed on types and locations of simulated targets for mock attacks by Harrier GR7 aircraft during night low level sorties are the same as those which apply to sorties flown during the day. Targets are carefully selected and account is taken of the location of nearby habitation and the environmental and safety factors involved.
Mr. Foulkes : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library a copy of the standing instructions to RAF Provost and Security Service flying complaints flight personnel concerning the aims and conduct of their interviews with complainants about low flying.
Mr. Hanley : The documents requested are either classified or protected by a privacy marking and cannot be released.
Mr. Foulkes : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the average time taken from receipt of the complaint by his Department to the final response to the complainant for all complaints about low flying which resulted in a full investigation of the circumstances, in each year since 1985.
Mr. Hanley : Such statistics are not maintained and the information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
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Mr. Foulkes : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to devolve the investigation of low flying complaints to regional units of the RAF Provost and Security Service.
Mr. Hanley : My Department has no such plans.
Aircraft Repair Costs
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the current cost threshold used to determine whether an aircraft damaged in an accident is worth repairing ; and if he will list the changes made in that threshold figure since 1985.
Mr. Hanley : There is no cost threshold used to determine whether an aircraft damaged in an accident is worth repairing. The assessment and categorisation of a damaged aircraft, and the subsequent decision to repair it or not, is based on a number of financial, engineering and operational factors which are applied on a case by case basis. These include the unexpired fatigue life of the aircraft concerned, the overall availability and future in-service life of the aircraft type, any special equipment that may be fitted, the costs of materials and manpower, and the availability of funds.
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the cost of repairs to military aircraft damaged by bird strikes in each of the last four years.
Mr. Hanley : This information is not recorded separately and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Simulated Attack Targets
Mr. Foulkes : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what changes were made to the measures for monitoring United States 3 Air Force compliance with the provisions of the RAF Strike Command approved list of simulated targets for toss or dive attack, following the report on the accident to an F111 near Lauder on 28 July 1987.
Mr. Hanley : United States air force aircraft based in the United Kingdom are subject to the same regulations governing simulated toss and dive attacks as other military aircraft based here. This situation has not changed since 1987.
WE177 Bomb
Mr. Foulkes : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to (a) extend or (b) shorten the service life of the WE177 bomb ; and what effect the cancellation of the tactical air-to-surface missile has had on the planned service life of the WE177 bomb.
Mr. Hanley : The announcement that we do not plan in current circumstances to procure a tactical air-to-surface missile does not affect the planned service life of the WE177 bomb.
Tornado Incident, Dalmellington
Mr. Foulkes : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if the incident in which a Royal Air Force Tornado struck electricity cables near Dalmellington on 26 November 1990 occurred during a run-in between an intitial point and a simulated target ; and what was the estimated speed at which the aircraft hit the cable.
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Mr. Hanley : The incident occurred before the aircraft had reached the initial point. It was flying at an estimated speed of 435 knots when it struck the cable.
Trident
Mr. Foulkes : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what consideration has been given to the procedures required for co-ordination or targeting, air tasking and airspace deconfliction between naval and air force commands when the substrategic nuclear role is transferred to the Trident system.
Mr. Hanley : These factors have been taken fully into account.
Mr. Foulkes : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what consideration has been given to the requirement for visible deployments of Trident submarines to foreign ports in order to demonstrate credibility and commitment in the substrategic role.
Mr. Hanley : The credibility of a submarine-launched deterrent has never been judged to rely on visits to foreign ports.
Mr. Foulkes : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the estimated additional expenditure required on the Trident programme to adapt the weapon to perform the tactical or theatre nuclear roles currently performed by tactical aircraft ; and if he will provide a breakdown of operating costs.
Mr. Hanley : It is not our practice to provide details of these costs separately. The adaptation of the Trident system to meet our sub- strategic requirements will not require any additional nuclear tests, and the overall additional cost will be small.
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