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Service Deaths
Mr. Foulkes: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the dates and circumstances of all deaths of service or civilian personnel in the past five years for which coroners' inquests or fatal accident inquiries have been held. [1294]
Mr. Soames: Information of the nature requested is not held centrally by my Department and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Purple Airspace
Mr. Foulkes: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many infringements of purple airspace have been reported in each year since 1990. [1276]
Mr. Soames: The information requested has been provided by National Air Traffic Services:
| Year | Infringements by military aircraft | Infringements by civil aircraft |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 2 | 5 |
| 1994 | 0 | 1 |
| 1995 (to date) | 1 | 0 |
There were no infringements of purple airspace recorded in 1991, 1992 or 1993.
AIRPROX
Mr. Foulkes: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessments he has made of the likely effects of the adoption of the AIRPROX system on the rates of aircraft proximity incident reporting by (a) pilots and (b) controllers. [1300]
Mr. Soames: The forthcoming introduction of the AIRPROX (Pilot) term may result in an increase in the number of aircraft proximity incidents since the new term has a wider definition than "airmiss" which it replaces. The introduction, last year, of the AIRPROX (Controller) has not resulted in a significant change in the number of incidents since the definition of the new term is the same as "Aircraft Proximity Hazard (APHAZ)" which it replaced.
Mr. Foulkes: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to extend the AIRPROX (Controller) reporting system to military air traffic controllers. [1301]
Mr. Soames: None. Aircraft proximity incidents reported by military air traffic controllers will continue to be investigated by military authorities. Where an AIRPROX (Controller) report raised by a civil air traffic controller involves military aircraft, the military authorities will assist with the Civil Aviation Authority investigation.
In-flight Dumping
Mr. Foulkes: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the total amount of aviation fuel lost as a result of in-flight dumping in each financial year since 1990; what was the cost of the loss in each year; and if he will make a statement on measures taken since 1990 to reduce waste by minimising in-flight dumping. [1296]
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Mr. Soames: In-flight dumping of fuel takes place only when absolutely necessary for operational or flight safety reasons. Details of the amount and costs of aviation fuel lost as a result of in-flight dumping are not held centrally and this information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Military Aircraft Accident Summaries
Mr. Foulkes: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his policy on the timing of the publication of military aircraft accident summaries in relation to the timing of inquests or fatal accident inquiries. [1295]
Mr. Soames: Military aircraft accident summaries of aircraft accidents involving fatalities are published by my Department after the next of kin have been notified of the outcome of the board of inquiry. The timing of inquests and fatal accident inquiries is entirely a matter for the coroner or procurator fiscal, as appropriate.
Harrier Aircraft
Mr. Foulkes: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the minimum permitted altitude for use of thrust vectoring in forward flight by Harrier aircraft when evading mock interceptions over the United Kingdom. [1285]
Mr. Soames: The use of thrust vectoring up to 30 deg. of nozzle deflection in forward flight is permitted down to approved minimum separation distances within the United Kingdom low flying system when Harrier aircraft are evading mock interceptions. Full nozzle deflection thrust vectoring is permitted above 7,000 ft.
Parachute Regiment
Mr. Redmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what disciplinary action was taken in respect of the members of the Parachute Regiment involved in anti-social behaviour on a recent commercial flight to Tenerife; how many personnel were involved; and if he will make a statement. [1815]
Mr. Soames: As a result of this incident, 15 soldiers were placed on a formal warning as to their future conduct.
Ship Sales
Dr. David Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 20 November, Official Report, column 17, if he will list the dates of construction of each of the vessels currently being sold by his Department. [2250]
Mr. Arbuthnot: The information is as follows:
| Ship name | Laid down |
|---|---|
| HMS Sirius | 9 August 1963 |
| HMS Scylla | 17 May 1967 |
| HMS Hermione | 6 December 1965 |
| HMS Jupiter | 3 October 1966 |
| HMS Redpole | (2)4 August 1967 |
| HMS Cygnet | (2)8 July 1976 |
| HMS Kingfisher | (2)8 October 1975 |
| RMAS Roysterer | (2)26 April 1972 |
| RMAS Foxhound | (2)22 February 1963 |
| RMAS Labrador | (2)14 November 1966 |
| RMAS Daphne | (2)19 December 1968 |
| RMAS Nancy | (2)31 August 1973 |
| RMAS Lydford | (2)7 April 1970 |
| RMAS Waterspout | (2)5 April 1967 |
| HMS Upholder | November 1983 |
| HMS Unicorn | February 1989 |
| HMS Unseen | January 1986 |
| HMS Ursula | August 1987 |
| RMAS Pauline Elizabeth | Not recorded |
(2) Dates shown are commissioning dates, as laid down dates are not
available for these vessels.
24 Nov 1995 : Column: 346
Nigerian Military Personnel
Mr. Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what are the number of Nigerian military currently undertaking training in the United Kingdom; and what is the policy of the Government regarding further such training for Nigerian military officers and non-commissioned officers. [2259]
Mr. Soames: There are no members of the Nigerian armed forces currently undertaking training in the United Kingdom. In December 1993, together with our European Union partners, we announced a series of measures applying to Nigeria which included a complete suspension of all military training. Nigerian military personnel undertaking training in the United Kingdom at that time were asked to leave.
Ships and Submarines
Dr. David Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list (a) surface ships and (b) submarines which have been decommissioned but not put up for sale by his Department; and if he will specify what has happened to each of these vessels over the last five years. [2251]
Mr. Arbuthnot: It is the Government's policy to put up for sale all vessels, apart from nuclear-powered submarines, that are no longer required by the Royal Navy. The following nuclear submarines have been decommissioned in the last five years and are stored at Rosyth awaiting disposal: Churchill, Conqueror, Courageous, Resolution, Revenge, Swiftsure, Valiant and Warspite.
Skyship 600
Dr. David Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the total cost of his Department's airship, the Skyship 600, Prince of Wales; where it is currently based; what investigation his Department is carrying out into how it burst; what estimate he has made of the total cost of repair to the airship; and if he will make a statement. [2252]
Mr. Arbuthnot: The total procurement cost of the Department's Skyship 600, registered number ZH 762, was approximately £2.6 million and it is based at the Defence Test and Evaluation Organisation site at Boscombe Down. The incident which resulted in rupture of the envelope occurred during a masting operation at Boscombe Down in May 1995 following a day's flying. This was investigated at a formal board of inquiry which
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concluded human error to be the cause. Repair of the envelope has not been possible; the cost of a replacement has not yet been established.
Former Officers
Dr. David Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his policy in relation to former serving officers of the armed services taking up business appointments in companies which may be bidding for defence contracts. [2253]
Mr. Soames: Former serving officers of the armed forces are required, for a period of two years after leaving Crown service, to apply for official permission before accepting a paid appointment with any organisation with which they had dealings during their last two years of Crown employment.
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