§ Mr. McNamaraTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion of patrols are sent out employing close operation procedures; in what circumstances these procedures are ordered; and in what circumstances members of a patrol would carry live rounds in the barrel of their rifles inside an army barracks. [48027]
§ Mr. Ingram"Close operation procedures" is not a recognised term and I am assuming that my hon. Friend is referring to Close Observation Platoons (COP). The proportion of COP patrols in comparison to other patrols30W is small and will vary depending on the security situation at any given time and the needs of the police service of Northern Ireland. For obvious security reasons details about their role and specific tasking are classified.
Rules for carriage of personal weapons are set out clearly in Joint Service Publications and during routine barrack security duties service personnel must always carry their weapon in a safe state with no live round being carried in the breech.