HC Deb 22 March 2004 vol 419 c552W
Mr. Liddell-Grainger

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the total amount of ordnance destroyed in the UK by controlled explosions was in the last five years; and what sorts of ordnance were involved. [161868]

Mr. Ingram

During the period April 1999 to February 2004 the Ministry of Defence has arranged for the demilitarisation by incineration, open burning and open detonation of 11,492 tonnes (all up weight) of conventional munitions ranging from Small Arms Ammunition to Guided Weapons.

Mr. Liddell-Grainger

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the life expectancy is of(a) Swingfire, (b) Milan and (c) artillery shells in war stocks; and what the policy of removal is. [161870]

Mr. Ingram

The life of a munition is constantly under consideration and work is ongoing while in-service to ensure the nature remains safe and suitable for use. When missiles reach the end of their in-service life they are disposed of either through being used for training purposes, or if that is not possible through a demilitarisation programme. At present both Swingfire and Milan missiles have an in-service life of 17 years.

Artillery shells are maintained to the required level of safety and in sufficient quantities to meet operational requirements. It is preferred to utilise artillery shells for training purposes rather than opting for disposal, thereby maximising their usefulness. Typically, the in service life of an Artillery Shell is a minimum of 10 years.