§ Mr. Farrasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the arms and ammunition and other devices which the Royal Ulster Constabulary is seeking to buy in the United States of America; and what are the reasons why this equipment is not being sought from British manufacturers.
§ Mr. AlisonIt is not in the interests of security to publish details of equipment purchased, whatever its provenance. Wherever practicable, British equipment is purchased.
§ Mr. Farrasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what was the expenditure on arms and ammunition by the Royal Ulster Constabulary in each of the past three years: and what percentage of these acquisitions was purchased in the United Kingdom.
§ Mr. AlisonIt is not in the interests of security to specify the expenditure on arms and ammunition. I understand that Police Authority expenditure on accoutrements, within which arms and ammunition are included, was as follows:
336W
£000's 1978–79 898 1979–80 1,245 1980–81 735 It would not be possible except at disproportionate cost to calculate the percentage of purchases of British manufacture, but it is estimated that the major part of the above expenditure was on articles manufactured in the United Kingdom.