---

Low Flying

Mrs. Ray Michie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will review the number of low-flying sorties over Scotland. [6984]

Mr. Spellar: As reported to the House on 20 March (Official Report, column 860), Scotland has received less military low flying than most other parts of the United Kingdom. The geographic distribution of this activity is reviewed annually.

Mrs. Michie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many operational low-flying sorties were authorised in (a) the Highlands, (b) Argyll and Bute and (c) Scotland in each of the last 12 months. [6985]

Mr. Spellar: Operational low flying is only permitted in three specially designated Tactical Training Areas (TTAs) located in the Borders (which covers southern Scotland and part of northern England and is called Low Flying Area 20T), northern Scotland (called Low Flying Area 14T) and central Wales (Low Flying Area 7T). Argyll and Bute is not located within a TTA and does not see operational low flying. The numbers of operational

9 Jul 1997 : Column: 489

low flying movements, which equate to sorties in this context, authorised in each of the last 12 months are detailed below. Figures for the movements flown within the part of LFA 20T in Scotland are not recorded separately.

	Northern Scotland TTA	Borders TTA
	(LFA 14T)	(LFA 20T)
1996
July	15	84
August	6	0
September	54	3
October	130	2
November	44	1
December	47	1
1997
January	0	0
February	23	88
March	32	61
April	150	83
May	96	36
June	7	16

Mrs. Michie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what measures he is taking to reduce the need for low-flying sorties through the use of flight simulators. [6986]

Mr. Spellar: Flight simulators are extensively used in training but at present they can only complement, not replace, actual experience of low flying. We do, however, continue to monitor closely all developments in simulator technology.

Eurofighter

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he next expects to meet German Ministers to discuss the Eurofighter project. [6684]

Mr. Spellar: I can assure the hon. Member that very close and frequent contact at ministerial level has been and will be maintained with German Defence Ministers on Eurofighter. The Government is determined to secure a four nation commitment to move to the production phase of the Eurofighter programme as soon as possible.

Ghurka Soldiers

Mrs. Ballard: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will review the pensions of Ghurka soldiers who have served in the British Army. [7348]

Dr. Reid: Pensions paid to ex-British Army Gurkhas are regularly reviewed. Each year both new and existing pensions are increased in line with the rate of inflation in Nepal. This review, which is currently being undertaken, is effective from April each year. In addition to this, and in accordance with our responsibilities under the Tri-Partite Agreement 1947 which links the pensions paid to ex-British Army Gurkhas to pensions paid in the Indian Army, pensions paid to our Gurkhas are reviewed in the light of any changes that the Indian Army may make to ensure that equity of treatment is maintained. The results of the latest 10 year review undertaken by the Indian Government are expected to be announced later this year.

9 Jul 1997 : Column: 490

SCOTLAND

NHS Trust Executives

Mr. Hood: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many executive positions there are in each Scottish health trust; and what the salary is for each post. [2670]

Mr. Galbraith [holding answer 11 June 1997]: Information relating to current salary of Executive Directors at Board level is shown in the table below, starting with the Chief Executive. Full information is already given in many Trust Annual Reports.

Trust	Number of Executive Directors	Salary of posts £ thousand
Aberdeen Royal Hospitals NHS Trust	5	78; 76; 52; 52; 44
Angus NHS Trust	5	61; 90; 51; 43; 38
Argyll and Bute NHS Trust	5	52; 92; 42; 38; 38
Ayrshire and Arran Community Healthcare NHS Trust	5	61; 74; 53; 47; 43
Borders Community Health Services NHS Trust	4	59; 71; 46; 41
Borders General Hospital NHS Trust	5	62; 83; 49; 40; 38
Caithness and Sutherland NHS Trust	5	45; 62; 41; 35; 33
Central Scotland Healthcare NHS Trust	5	81; 67; 48; 46; 44
Dumfries and Galloway Acute and Maternity Hospitals NHS Trust	5	55; 84; 41; 40; 39
Dumfries and Galloway Community Health NHS Trust	5	55; 54; 44; 42; 40
Dundee Healthcare NHS Trust	5	75; 71; 56; 49; 44
Dundee Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust	5	85; 92; 54; 53; 52
East and Midlothian NHS Trust	5	61; 53; 46; 46; 18
Edinburgh Healthcare NHS Trust	5	72; 63; 57; 53; 49
Edinburgh Sick Children's NHS Trust	5	53; 81; 44; 26; 20
Falkirk and District Royal Infirmary NHS Trust	5	71; 89; 47; 46; 41
Fife Healthcare NHS Trust	5	66; 56; 46; 45; 39
Glasgow Dental Hospital and School NHS Trust	5	56; 42; 42; 37; 5
Glasgow Royal Infirmary University NHS Trust	5	83; 75; 61; 57; 51
Grampian Healthcare NHS Trust	5	90; 72; 66; 61; 56
Greater Glasgow Community and Mental Health Services NHS Trust	5	80; 87; 58; 53; 51
Hairmyres and Stonehouse Hospitals NHS Trust	5	66; 72; 49; 45; 45
Highland Communities NHS Trust	4	54; 40; 40; 36
Inverclyde Royal NHS Trust	5	62; 75; 52; 42; 42
Kirkcaldy Acute Hospitals NHS Trust	5	62; 87; 54; 45; 38
Lanarkshire Healthcare NHS Trust	5	71; 46; 46; 45; 43
Law Hospital NHS Trust	5	68; 78; 50; 48; 47
Lomond Healthcare NHS Trust	5	52; 76; 45; 38; 38
Monklands and Bellshill Hospitals NHS Trust	5	63; 54; 54; 45; 43
Moray Health Services NHS Trust	5	58; 80; 43; 42; 40
North Ayrshire and Arran NHS Trust	5	73; 83; 56; 47; 44
Perth and Kinross Healthcare NHS Trust	5	65; 86; 48; 44; 42
Queen Margaret Hospital NHS Trust	5	71; 79; 47; 46; 46
Raigmore Hospital NHS Trust	5	61; 66; 46; 40; 39
Renfrewshire Healthcare NHS Trust	5	74; 72; 54; 45; 43
Royal Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust	5	62; 60; 45; 41; 39
Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh NHS Trust	5	91; 69; 69; 67; 66
Scottish Ambulance Service NHS Trust	5	72; 63; 57; 57; 45
South Ayrshire Hospitals NHS Trust	5	66; 98; 62; 52; 48
Southern General Hospital NHS Trust	5	82; 83; 55; 55; 55
Stirling Royal Infirmary NHS Trust	5	64; 48; 46; 38; 17
Stobhill NHS Trust	5	71; 57; 54; 53; 44
Victoria Infirmary NHS Trust	5	62; 92; 46; 43; 40
West Glasgow Hospitals University NHS Trust	5	81; 66; 62; 54; 51
West Lothian NHS Trust	5	78; 85; 48; 47; 41
Western General Hospitals NHS Trust	5	75; 89; 50; 48; 42
The Yorkhill NHS Trust	5	76; 92; 55; 53; 41

9 Jul 1997 : Column: 491

Monktonhall Colliery Site

Mr. Eric Clarke: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if the Coal Authority will transfer the cleared Monktonhall Colliery Site to the ownership of Midlothian Council. [6774]

Mr. Wilson: This is a matter for the Coal Authority. Under Section 3(4) of the Coal Industry Act 1994, it is the duty of the Authority to secure the best terms reasonably available for disposal of the site if a buyer cannot be found to keep the mine operational.

Beaufort's Dyke

Mr. Russell Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will initiate (a) a further detailed survey of Beaufort's Dyke and the surrounding area and (b) a public inquiry into the matters raised by the survey. [6643]

Mr. Dewar: The levels of radioactivity throughout the Irish Sea are routinely monitored by the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science an executive agency of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. The most recent report, which is entitled "Radioactivity in Food and the Environment 1995", is available in the Library of the House of Commons. The monitoring undertaken since the early 1960s has not detected any measurable effect on radioactivity levels in the Beaufort's Dyke area, which remain well within internationally agreed safety levels. At the moment I see no need to initiate any additional surveys or a public inquiry.

Mr. Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will commission the Aberdeen Marine Research Laboratory to conduct an investigation into radiation levels in the Beaufort's Dyke area. [6830]

Mr. Dewar: The Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science, an executive agency of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, carried out comprehensive monitoring for levels of radioactivity throughout the Irish Sea. Such monitoring takes place on a regular basis and will continue. Involvement of the Marine Laboratory Aberdeen would therefore not be justified.

9 Jul 1997 : Column: 492

---