§ Mr. Spearingasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the four tipper trucks requested by the Falklands Administration in August 1982 and referred to in his answer of 25 April, Official Report, c. 205, were replacements for equipment lost during the hostilities or additional equipment required for reconstruction work; what type and specifications they are; and what are the reasons for the long delay in their dispatch to the Falkland Islands.
§ Mr. RaisonThese four items represent the balance of a request for 10 classed as replacements. The request covered both war damage and replacement of worn out equipment. They are Bedford Model TK of 7-tonnes capacity, 4x4 with tipper mechanism supplied by Anthony Hoist. In addition to delays arising from shipping congestion, there were delays in manufacture over availability of chassis and fitting bodies. Two were available for shipping in November 1982, four in January 1983, and the final four in April 1983.