§ Mr. Gouldasked the Prime Minister, further to her answer of 14 June, Official Report, column 533, which plants are currently building heavy vehicles which are needed by the armed forces; which plants have the potential capacity to do so; and what is the current annual requirement for such vehicles.
§ The Prime MinisterThe Services' heavy vehicle requirements are currently being met by a number of manufacturers with plants situated throughout the United Kingdom, principally: Bedford (Luton); Ford (Langley); Foden (Sandbach); BL (Leyland); Seddon-Atkinson (Oldham); Scammell (Watford).
In addition to these plants, a considerable number of other companies in the United Kindom are assessed to have a potential capacity to fulfil the services' requirements in this field—for example, Chubb (Hanwell), Dennis (Guildford), ERF (Sandbach), Fairey (Stockport), GKN (Wolverhampton), Gloster-S aro (Gloucester), Marshalls (Cambridge), Reynolds-Boughton (Amersham), Volvo (Irvine). The services' annual requirements vary, but currently amount to some 2,000 to 3,000 vehicles.