§ Mr. Frank Allaunasked the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if he will make a statement on the dangers of the use of depleted uranium by the armed forces of the countries possessing 105 mm tank guns;
(2) if he will make a statement on the proposed use by Great Britain and NATO of depleted uranium in armour-piercing anti-tank ammunition on the 333W recent tank gun trials at Shoeburyness, on the danger of this material causing toxic aerosol clouds, on whether this crosses the border dividing poisonous from non-poisonous weapons and on safety precautions in the handling of depleted uranium.
§ Mr. Robert C. BrownNo depleted uranium anti-tank shot was fired in the recent international tank gun trials at Shoeburyness.
Theoretically, depleted uranium, because of its high density might offer operational potential. There is, however, at present no operational requirement for such ammunition in the British Army. If it were to be adopted, the fullest possible consideration would naturally be given to all factors, including those bearing on safety.
There is no reason to think at present that ammunition using depleted uranium would have a level of toxicity greater than that present in some existing projectile materials, and in no sense could such ammunition be classified as a nuclear weapon. There are established safety procedures for the handling, manufacture, storage and transport of depleted uranium which would be applied to ammunition incorporating it.