AMMUNITION FOR CHALLENGER II TANKS

Early day motion 1029, tabled 25 July 2000 by Lindsay Hoyle (Labour). Signed by 16 members.

That this House notes with concern the recent report highlighting the faults with the German shells used for the Challenger II Battle tank, resulting in serious damage to the barrel, with a tendency to jam and impair the tank's ability to fire straight; expresses deep concern over the consequences this has for the effective use of the Challenger II tank in combat; notes that shells for the tank can no longer be produced in the UK by Royal Ordnance, forcing the armed forces to rely on German suppliers, which inevitably leads to delays in correcting faults; and calls on the Government to ensure that the UK does not completely lose the ability to supply military weapons to the armed forces.

Signatures by party: Labour 14, Conservative 1, Liberal Democrat 1.