Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the adoption of the (a) 6.8mm x 50mm round and (b) QBZ-191 rifle by the Chinese People’s Liberation Army on British Army body armour.

The Ministry of Defence routinely assesses emerging and evolving small‑arms threats as part of its ongoing responsibility to protect Service personnel.

The specific threats against which UK body armour is designed to provide protection are held at a higher security classification and therefore it would be inappropriate for me to provide specific details. However, I can confirm that UK body armour requirements are kept under constant review to ensure they continue to reflect the most dangerous and prevalent threats our personnel are likely to face while conducting their duties.