§ Mrs. Ewingasked the Secretary of State for Defence what is the total value of sales of Service equipment sold to civilians; what is the machinery of his Department for affixing values to items sold; what safeguards exist to check on the sale of equipment; and for how long records and original vouchers are maintained.
§ Mr. John MorrisDisposals of Service equipment by sale to civilians in the United Kingdom are running at about £6.5 million a year. Most sales are effected by auction or tender and where appropriate a reserve price is stated. All disposals are checked to ensure that they are suitable for civilian use and that prices are consistent with current market prices 379W for similar items. Records and original vouchers are normally kept for seven years.