§ Mr. Geoffrey Lloydasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to increase the supply to fire brigades of ultra lightweight cylinders for use with compressed-air breathing apparatus.
§ Mr. Roy JenkinsAn issue of 500 light-weight cylinders started last March and is now nearly complete. This was done after testing of the cylinder by the National Physical Laboratory and the National Engineering Laboratory. The long-term serviceability of the cylinder has still to be assessed, however, and I propose to wait until we have twelve months' experience of its use before deciding whether to issue further supplies to brigades.