HC Deb 16 January 1990 vol 165 cc134-8W
Mr. Macdonald

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the dates of competitions held since 1984 to supply small calibre ammunition of 30 mm and

Calibre Date Type Quantity Tenderers Winner
7.62mm September 1985 Ball 10M Norma (FFV), Sweden Indep
SFM, France
Hirtenberger, Austria
MEN, West Germany
Dynamit Nobel, West Germany
FN, Belgium
Indep, Portugal
GPC, Greece
Raufoss, Norway
Royal Ordnance, United Kingdom
September 1985 4 Ball/1 Tracer 15M FN, Belgium Indep
Indep, Portugal
Raufoss, Norway
FFV, Sweden
MEN, West Germany
Dynamit Nobel, West Germany
September 1985 Blank belted 2.2M FN, Belgium FN
Indep, Portugal
Raufoss, Norway
FFV, Sweden
MEN, West Germany
GPC, Greece
Hirtenberger, Austria
9mm September 1985 Ball 14M FFV, Sweden FFV
SFM, France
Hirtenberger, Austria
MEN, West Germany
Dynamit Nobel, West Germany
FN, Sweden
Indep, Portugal
Royal Ordnance, United Kingdom
January 1986 Ball 15M FFV, Sweden FFV
SFM, France
Hirtenberger, Austria
MEN, West Germany
Dynamit Nobel, West Germany
FN, Belgium
Indep, Portugal
Royal Ordnance, United Kingdom
0.5 inch September 1985 4 Ball/1 Tracer 440K Eley, United Kingdom GPC
FN, Belgium,
Eurometaal, Holland
1 Ba11/1 Tracer 250K GPC, Greece
Accles & Shelvoke, Canada
August 1986 1 Ball/1 Tracer 1.15M Eley, United Kingdom Eley
Accles & Shelvoke, Canada
Eurometaal, Holland
FN, Belgium
0.5 inch March 1988 1 Ball/1 Tracer 1.2M Eley, United Kingdom GPC
FN, Belgium,
Eurometaal, Holland
Accles & Shelvoke, Canada
GPC, Greece
20mm October 1986 HE I 25.5K Matra Manurhin, France GPC
HE I Tr 25.5K GPC, Greece,
Practice 105K BMARC, United Kingdom
Practice Tr 19K
December 1984 Practice 250K Olin Winchester, United States of America Raufoss
Raufoss, Norway
Dekruithorn, Holland
FN, Belgium
December 1985 Practice 304K Olin Winchester, United States of America Dekruithorn
Raufoss, Norway
Dekruithorn, Holland
FN, Belgium

below for the United Kingdom armed services, in each case listing (a) the type, calibre and quantity of ammunition involved, (b) the names and nationalities of the competing companies and (c) the winning company.

Mr. Alan Clark

The data requested are as follows:

Calibre Date Type Quantity Tenderers Winner
December 1986 Practice 304K Olin Winchester, United States of America Olin Winchester
Raufoss, Norway
Dekruithorn, Holland
FN, Belgium
December 1987 Practice 228K Olin Winchester, United States of America Olin Winchester
Raufoss, Norway
Dekruithorn, Holland
FN, Belgium
25mm July 1988 Practice 294K Raufoss, Norway Raufoss
BMARC, United Kingdom

Mr. Macdonald

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps are taken by his Department to ensure the quality of ammunition purchased from overseas.

Mr. Alan Clark

The quality requirements called up in MOD tenders and contracts for ammunition are identical for United Kingdom and overseas suppliers. Our quality assurance branches ensure that the requirements are met irrespective of the place of manufacture.

Mr. Macdonald

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the total value of contracts awarded to overseas suppliers to provide the United Kingdom armed forces with small calibre ammunition, 30 mm and below, for each year since 1984.

Mr. Alan Clark

The data for 1984–85 are not readily available. The approximate values for the subsequent years are:

Year £ million
1985–86 31.4
1986–87 6.9
1987–88 28.5
1988–89 14.1

Mr. Macdonald

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the total value of contracts awarded to United Kingdom suppliers to provide the United Kingdom armed forces with small calibre ammunition, of 30 mm and below, for each year since 1984.

Mr. Alan Clark

The data for 1984–85 are not readily available. The approximate values for the subsequent years are:

Year £ million
1985–86 76.6
1986–87 68.6
1987–88 52.5
1988–89 50.1

Mr. Macdonald

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which United Kingdom companies are still able to supply the United Kingdom armed forces with 0.5 in ammunition.

Mr. Alan Clark

After the unsuccessful bid by Eley Ltd. for our last tender in 1988, there have been reports that it has closed its facility. There are no other established manufacturers for 0.5 in ammunition in the United Kingdom, but several could adapt their capabilities should our next requirement be attractive to them.

Mr. Macdonald

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which United Kingdom companies have in the past 20 years supplied his Department with 0.5 in ammunition.

Mr. Alan Clark

The only United Kingdom company to have supplied 0.5 in ammunition to MOD in the past 20 years is Eley Ltd.