Written question asked by Viscount Thurso (Liberal Democrat) on Friday, 26 November 2004, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 21 December 2004. It was answered by Ivor Caplin (Labour) on Tuesday, 21 December 2004 on behalf of the Ministry of Defence.

Ministry of Defence

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will list the dates on which the Cape Wrath Range has been subject to Short Notice Activation in (a) 2004 and (b) each of the preceding four years; and on which dates no activity took place at the Range. - (Holding answer 30 November 2004).

Answer: John Thurso: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the dates on which the Cape Wrath range has been subject to short notice activation in (a) 2004 and (b) each of the preceding four years; and on which dates no activity took place at the range. [200921] Mr. Caplin: [holding answer 30 November 2004]: No formal system is in place to record Short Notice Activations. A comparison between the Cape Wrath Range Notifications issued by Flag Officer Scotland Northern England and Northern Ireland (FOSNNI) and the local records at the Cape Wrath Range has identified just one such activation since 2000. This is as far back as FOSNNI's records go. The occasion identified in the FOSNNI records occurred in September 2004, when FOSNNI received and approved a request to allow the aerial bombardment of Garvie Island during the week commencing 13 September. Although bombardment of Garvie Island only took place on 14-15 September 2004, military activity did continue on the Range throughout the period covered by the Short Notice Activation.

Secondary information