§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the level of availability of ration packs for training exercises in the field; and what orders have been issued to limit distribution of such items. [105590]
§ Mr. SpellarA food war reserve of Operational Ration Packs (ORP) is maintained to support operational deployments. ORP is a lifed product and stock is turned over accordingly. The ORP that is turned over is made available for training and exercises and its distribution is agreed annually with the Services in line with availability. Reductions in the amount of stock carried as a war reserve have reduced the amount of ORP turned over. The implications for the training programme are currently being evaluated, including the option to procure additional ration packs specifically for training.