§ Mr. BanksTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what animal fur, broken down by species and value, has been purchased by his Department in each of the last 10 years; and what use was made of the fur. [111124]
§ Mr. IngramThe Ministry of Defence has not purchased any animal fur for use as a raw material in the last 10 years. The MOD does, however, purchase various clothing items which incorporate animal fur as part of their specification. A wide range of clothing products, such as socks and pullovers, incorporate animal fur or wool to an agreed quality standard. There are, however, a limited number of items for which a specific type of fur or wool is included within the specification. These are as follows:
Product/Species Number of products (per annum) Busby Scandinavian Blue Fox 2 (maximum) Coney (Rabbit) 42 Sheep (Astrakhan) 1 (maximum) Bearskin Black Bear 60 Flounce Black/Black Faced Brown Bear 1 Sheep (Astrakhan) (5 in 20 years) Saddle Cover Black Bear 5 Sheep 40 It is not possible to readily identify the value of these animal products as the cost incurred by the MOD is for the finished and complete item, not just the animal component.