Dr. ThomasTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if the United Kingdom has imported any uranium for non-nuclear explosive defence purposes from the United States of America in any year since 1979; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. SainsburyThe then Minister of State for Defence Procurement informed the House on 17 January 1985, at columns183–84, of the procurement of depleted uranium for the development programme of an anti-armour ammunition. Some of the material to which he referred was purchased from the United States as trial feed for prototype production. The House was informed on the same day of the Phalanx system deployed with the Royal Navy, which is purchased from the United States together with its depleted uranium alloy ammunition.
Dr. ThomasTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence in what chemical form any uranium imported from(a) Namibia and (b) the Republic of South Africa has been received in the United Kingdom for defence use.
§ Mr. SainsburyIn line with the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Brent, South (Mr. Boateng) on 20 July 1987, at column97, it has never been the policy of any Government to disclose the sources of our defence stockpile of uranium.