§ Mr. Sydney Chapmanasked the Prime Minister whether, in his reply to the hon. Member for Birmingham, Handsworth on 19th July about forms 495W of protection used by the Army in Northern Ireland, account had been taken of the preferences of the soldiers themselves.
§ The Prime MinisterYes. As I informed the House on 19th July, the main danger to the Army comes from high-velocity as opposed to low-velocity weapons. Neither the flak jacket used by the Army nor the Bristol armour used by the police stops the high-velocity bullet. The Army uses the flak jacket because it gives the best available combination of protection, including protection against blast and fragmentation, with freedom of movement. It is preferred by the soldiers themselves