§ Mr. Frank Allaunasked the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will take steps to ensure that no armaments offered for sale in Great Britain reach the hands of the Irish Republican Army or any other illegal military organisation.
§ Dr. GilbertSurplus non-automatic small arms are sold by this Department to United Kingdom firms licensed under the Firearms Act, 1968, but only on condition that the weapons are converted to sporting purposes and then exported to approved foreign countries. The Royal Small Arms Factory is permitted to manufacture and sell other weapons and spares and surplus automatic weapons to licensed firearms dealers provided that the weapons are required for installation into aircraft or other major equipments, or that the parts are required for in-290W corporation into weapons or spares being manufactured by the purchaser.
Surplus weapons and weapons components which cannot be sold in accordance with this policy are mutilated and deep sea dumped under controlled conditions.
The activities of licensed firearms firms are strictly controlled under the provisions of the Firearms Act 1968, and any proposal to export weapons and spares purchased in the United Kingdom would be subject to the normal procedures governing the export of defence equipment.
All these measures are designed to ensure that weapons and spares do not reach the hands of the Irish Republican Army or any other illegal military organisation.