§ Mr. LawsTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what use of depleted uranium has been authorised by his Department for use in the production of military equipment or materials of any kind within the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement. [10630]
§ Dr. MoonieThe Ministry of Defence employs depleted uranium (DU) in three principal ways. It is used in ammunition for the weapons systems for the Challenger II tank and the Royal Navy's Phalanx close in weapon system. A DU-based round was also developed for use in the Challenger 1 tank for use in the Gulf conflict. C-130J/K Hercules and Tristar aircraft and some Wessex helicopters use DU as either a counterweight or as ballast. DU is used to shield radiological sources (such as nuclear reactors) and in nuclear medicine. In addition, small amounts of DU are used for defence research purposes, and some nuclear weapons also contain uranium in this form.