§ Mr. MaddenTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if there has been any change in his Department's previously announced plans to procure 15,000 combat body armour vests in the financial year 1989–90; and when he plans to meet the services' total requirement.
§ Mr. SainsburyThe answer to the first part of the question is no. However, our procurement plans for new equipment are subject to the annual review of the defence programme as a whole and combat body armour is no exception. On current plans the present procurement programme is expected to take about six years to complete.