Oral Answers
5 JULY 1977
1099 colleagues, but it is a point that I would bear in mind if the occasion arose,
RAF North Cotes
7. Mr. Brotherton asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will pay an official visit to RAF North Cotes.
for
The Under-Secretary of State Defence for the Royal Air Force (Mr. James Wellbeloved): My right hon. Friend has no plans to do so at present.
Mr. Brotherton: If the Secretary of State or the hon. Gentleman went to North
Cotes, they would realise that a lot of married quarters there are unoccupied. Will the Minister take steps, with the Property Services Agency, to make sure that these 100 houses that are unoccu- pied are made available to my consti- tuents or anyone else who wishes to live
in them?
Mr. Wellbeloved: If the hon. Gentle- man wishes to get a factual answer, he should put down a specific Question and not a general one. However, I think that I can help him. Of the 94 married quar- ters being retained for RAF North Cotes, only 23 are vacant and these are mostly for work services. Where there are instances of properties remaining vacant for a long time, we are only too happy to transfer them to the PSA in order to dis- pose of them as quickly as possible.
Mr. Townsend: Would it not be sen- sible to relax the rules of married quar- ters in order to allow more single Service men to take advantage of them?
Mr. Wellbeloved: If that were done, a wage cost benefit would arise that would affect the whole pay structure of the Armed Forces. However, this suggestion could be considered at a future date.
Aircraft Interceptions
8. Mr. Cartwright asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many intercep-
tions of unidentified or Warsaw Pact air- craft have been made by the RAF in the last 12 months to the latest available date.
Mr. Wellbeloved: The Royal Air Force, both in the United Kingdom and in Germany, maintains a constant watch on all aircraft which without notice approach the air space which it is committed to defend. and intercepts and identifies those
29 G 38
Oral Answers
110
1101
Oral
it wishes to check. Although it is not th Mr. Wellbelo practice to publish detailed statistics o satisfied that th such interceptions, I can say that on aver RAF have the age they have taken place two or thre surveillance, as times a week.
and to intercept Navy.
Mr. Wellbelo
Mr. Cartwright: While I appreciate my hon. Friend's reticence aboul Mr. Marten : numbers, may I ask whether, on the basis fire on the ship satisfied with the rate of interceptions? of the figures he has indicated, he is Also, is he satisfied that the RAF has the capability to intercept any aircraft that might violate our air space?
distinction between the United Kingdom Mr. Wellbeloved: One must draw air defence region and our sovereign air space. There have been no Soviet of Warsaw Pact
penetrations of our sovereign air space, and I am satisfied intercept and identify any aircraft that that in peace time we would be able to
penetrated it.
of interceptions underline the importance Mr. Kershaw : Does not the high figure' of having manned aircraft, and also of having a high performance aircraft such as the Tornado, at our disposal?
Mr. Wellbeloved: The high figures are a tribute to the professionalism of those who serve in the RAF and the superb quality of the aircraft they fly.
Nimrod Aircraft (Fishery Protection) 9. Mr. Torney asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will review the Nimrod fishing protection rôle.
Mr. Wellbeloved: Nimrod aircraft of the Royal Air Force have carried out their fishery protection rôle most effec- tively during the past six months. We will continue to keep the rôle under review in the light of experience and in consulta- tion with the other Departments involved.
Mr. Torney: I thank my hon. Friend for that reply. Would he not agree that there has been a change of circumstances in the last week or so inasmuch as there has been a ban on herring fishing? In the light of the fact that some foreign Powers seem to want to disregard that ban, is he absolutely certain that all the necessary facilities are available to do the job of policing our waters and enforcing the ban, which, I believe, has a great deal of support on all sides of
the House?
of engagement within the comp the Under Secret for the Royal I for engagement
Mr. Brotherto that normally o or indeed any of waters, do not fi gracefully?
Mr. Wellbelo hope that our Market will act sense as will He and that this d resolved, so tha berring stocks decent livelihood
10. Mr. Church State for Defence to respond to S proved readiness
Mr. Mulley : V of measures and No. 41 Comman improvement: th
announced last T
Mr. Churchill welcome the dec Marine Coniman Gentleman awar Royal Air Force caused to the opd
exodus from ma which have been overall figures f the past two yea the over-compa Armed Forces insisted in resp charges?
Mr. Mulley: I confirm or deny figures, but there
29 G 39
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.