§ Mr. SpellarTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to make an announcement on the award of the small arms maintenance contract. [11872]
§ Mr. SoamesSmall arms repair support for the Army and some units of the other armed services is provided by the Army base repair organisation ABRO has no plans to award a maintenance contract. However, some of the work does form part of a market test competition which commenced in October 1995. It is anticipated that the results of this competition will be known by early 1997.