Vol. 403 No. 5
11 Mr. O'Shea asked the Minister for Tourism and Transport if he is concerned at reports of the stepping up of activity at the missile base in the north of Cardigan Bay, Wales in relation to air traffic crossing the Irish Sea; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Under international law and convention, States may specify areas within their national airspace systems as danger areas. Generally these are where military or naval exercises can and do take place. The safety of civil aircraft operating in those areas is ensured through standard internationally agreed procedures to prevent any conflict between civil aircraft and military exercises.
There are large areas of British airspace designated as danger areas in the region of Cardigan Bay. The locations and times during which these areas are used by military or naval authorities are published by the relevant authorities in Britain. When it is intended to use the danger areas outside the published times, special notifications are given to adjacent air traffic control centres and to pilots using those areas.
There are two major air routes from Dublin to Britain, mainly London, which cross the Cardigan Bay area. The degree to which these areas are used for military purposes is, of course, a matter solely for the British authorities.
It would not be proper for me to comment on usage made of these danger areas, which, as I have said earlier, is provided for under international law. I can, however, say that there has been no noticeable increase recently in the number of notifications received by the Air Traffic Control Service at Dublin Airport of the danger areas referred to being used outside the normal published times.
The inquiry which took place after the 1968 Viscount crash was not conclusive in establishing the case of that crash and there is a strong school of thought which says that it was a missile emanating from the area about which we are talking which brought down that aircraft. Until that matter is dealt with and the true story is told, not only should we be opposing any stepping up of activity in that area but we should be opposing in all ways open to us any activity from that firing range.
That relates to Question No. 14. I have nothing to add to the inspector's report published in June 1970 arising out of that incident.
We are dealing with Question No. 11 now.
In view of questions asked about this matter in recent days in the British House of Commons, would the Minister agree that it would be desirable for an all-party group of this House to inquire into the activities of the missile base there, since there are clear suggestions that this base may be endangering the lives of people within its vicinity and may have contributed in the past to a plane crash. Would the Minister agree that it should be inquired into by an all-party committee?
It is a matter which should be kept under review by security personnel. I do not think it would be a suitable subject for an all-party committee of Parliament. There are standard internationally agreed procedures in this technical area and I have no reason to believe that the procedures are not working adequately.
