Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps are taken to ensure that ammunition used on firing ranges is fully and properly accounted for; and what amount of ammunition has not been accounted for in each of the three services in each of the last five years.

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) takes the security and accounting of its ammunition very seriously. The MOD therefore has in place mechanisms to ensure that only units and individuals which are allowed to draw and use specific types of ammunition can do so. In addition to this, the MOD operates a rigorous internal audit system to ensure that ammunition can be accounted for at all stages of the supply chain. This includes both formal inventory checking within ammunition stores and confirmatory checks at the end of a range session; the latter includes a declaration requiring individuals to confirm they have no ammunition in their possession. The Service Police Crime Bureau has recorded all reported losses, thefts, and recoveries of MOD ammunition since 2011. Centrally held figures prior to 2011 are not available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. The amount of lost and stolen ammunition is shown in the following table.

Full year data for 2014 is not yet available.