F.N. Rifle

HC Deb 14 May 1958 vol 588 cc379-81

2. Mr. Shinwell

asked the Secretary of State for War what progress has been made in the production of the F.N. rifle; and to what extent our troops have been equipped with this weapon.

Mr. Amery

I would refer the right hon. Gentleman to the Answer given on 7th May to the hon. Members for Dudley (Mr. Wigg) and Bermondsey (Mr. Mellish).

Mr. Shinwell

I saw that, and that is why I regard the matter as most unsatisfactory. May I ask whether our troops in the Aden Protectorate engaged in activities on the Yemen frontier have an issue of the F.N. rifle, or whether they are now using a rifle which, by modern standards, is regarded as obsolescent? If they have not got the F.N. rifle, why not?

Mr. Amery

I think last week I gave figures of the number of F.N. rifles that have been put into the Army. A further 36,000 or probably more—it may well be a higher figure—will be put into the Army this year. I cannot say for certain what proportion of the troops in Aden have F.N. rifles, but I will certainly look into the question.

Mr. Shinwell

Will the hon. Gentleman look into the matter, because we must safeguard the interests of our men in the field? Whatever may be the merits of the policy which takes them there, at any rate they must be issued with the most modern weapon.

Mr. Amery

I will look into the matter as the right hon. Gentleman asks.

Mr. Mellish

Is not it a fact that the Yemeni are supposed to be equipped with automatic rifles? Is not it a deplorable fact that the British Army is not equipped with the best possible weapons available?

Mr. Amery

It would be a mistake to think that all the Yemeni are equipped with automatic rifles.

Mr. Strachey

Would not the hon. Gentleman agree that the real deficiency is not in the rate of production this year but that the production of these rifles did not start until this year? Why was there the six years' delay, since the decision to make this rifle was taken the very first time that the present Government came into office after the war? That is the extraordinary delay which has never been explained.

Mr. Amery

The right hon. Gentleman knows better than I do the difficulties of production and the introduction of a new family of weapons into the Service. What is of encouragement to all of us is that production this year will be in excess of what was estimated.

Mr. Wigg

On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. In the light of an Answer which was given last week by the War Office, the hon. Gentleman has given a piece of incorrect information. May I respectfully point out that I was informed by the Secretary of State that none of the troops in Aden have got F.N. rifles?

Mr. Speaker

That is not a point of order.