HC Deb 02 May 1986 vol 96 cc495-6W
Mrs. Dunwoody

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what are the sizes, numbers and names of foreign manufacturers who have supplied small arms ammunition to the United Kingdom in 1986–87 to date.

Mr. Norman Lamont

[pursuant to his reply, 30 April 1986, c. 422]: Deliveries to the MOD from foreign manufacturers since 1 April 1986 have been as follows:

Manufacturers Size Number supplied (millions)
Greek Powder & Cartridge Company .50 inch 0.7
FFV Sweden 9 mm 2

Mrs. Dunwoody

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he is taking to curtail the placement of small arms and ammunition contracts abroad.

Mr. Norman Lamont

[pursuant to his reply, 30 April 1986, c. 422]: Procurement of small arms and ammunition is conducted within our general policy of purchasing from overseas only when the advantages of cost, performance and time scale outweigh the longer term benefits of procuring the British alternative: no additional curtailments are planned. In accordance with this policy, it has been decided that competition for the prime contractor for the second production order for SA-80, the dominant element of our future small arms programme, will be confined to United Kingdom companies.