§ 65. Mr. Tim SmithTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the total level of stocks held by the Ministry of Defence at the latest convenient date.
§ Mr. NeubertIn addition to any stocks which may be held to meet specific war reserve or contingency requirements the Ministry of Defence holds working stocks, the levels of which vary according to factors such as shelf life, the rate of consumption, economic order quantity and lead times for replacement. Typically stock levels range from two months for items readily available from commercial sources to eight years for those which are not for example, for support of refurbishment programmes for major specialised equipments.