HC Deb 21 January 1977 vol 924 cc328-9W
Mr. Onslow

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what action he has taken, in his review of fire precautions on army land in Surrey, to obtain the views of the Surrey Fire Brigade; when this review started; and when his Department first approached the Surrey Fire Brigade for its advice about it.

Mr. Wellbeloved

The review of fire precautions undertaken within the Ministry of Defence covered all fires which arose at Ministry of Defence ranges and training areas last summer and the lessons which could be learned from them. This exercise which started on 12th August 1976 was countrywide and not restricted to Surrey. During the fire season and since, there has been close liaison between the local authority fire brigades and the military authorities and our estate surveyors. The views of a number of fire experts have been taken into account by the review body when formulating its recommendations.

A meeting was held with representatives of the Surrey and Hampshire Fire Brigades by South-East Military District and our estate surveyors on 3rd May 1976 to discuss action needed to deal with the fires then occurring. A further meeting to discuss the lessons of last year's fire fighting was held on 13th January 1977.

Range 5 yards 15 yards 25 yards 50 yards 75 yards
Velocity (metres per second) … 65 60 56 47 Information not available
Kinetic Energy (Joules) … 285 243 212 149

Mr. Hugh Jenkins

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what is the direct impact energy of a rubber bullet, in the form most commonly used in Northern Ireland, at ranges of five yards, 15 yards, 25 yards, and 50 yards; and what is its muzzle velocity and weight.

Range 5 yards 15 yards 25 yards 50 yards
Velocity (metres per second) 66.1 62.8 59.4 47.5
Kinetic Energy (Joules) 328 296 265 169

The rubber round was normally aimed in such a way that it bounced off the ground in front of the target. In these circumstances the impact energy of the round would, of course, be less than the energy figures shown above by a factor which would vary according to the nature of the ground and the angle of incidence.