HC Deb 29 June 1954 vol 529 cc1085-6
16. Mr. Hale

asked the President of the Board of Trade the amount of arms exported in the last 12 months, to the most recent convenient date, to each country in South America.

Mr. Amory

As the answer contains a number of figures I will, with the hon. Member's permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

Mr. Hale

Would the right hon. Gentleman give the figures for Nicaragua, Honduras and Guatemala, in which we are interested?

Mr. Amory

I will give the hon. Gentleman the figures. There are 20 countries, but he mentioned three. These are the figures, in £ sterling for 1953: Guatemala, £386; Nicaragua, nothing; and Honduras, nothing. [Laughter.]

Mr. Burden

Would my right hon. Friend say whether any British weapons were used recently in the World Football Cup battle?

Mr. Hale

Would the Minister reply to his hon. Friends who are laughing about this Question and tell us why there has been a suggestion that British ships should be searched on their way to these countries, who made that suggestion, on what basis, and whether, in those circumstances, such a request should have been made?

Mr. Amory

I am quite incapable of answering that question.

Following are the figures:

UNITED KINGDOM EXPORTS OF ARMS, AMMUNITION AND MILITARY STORES AND APPLIANCES (INCLUDING SPORTING GUNS AND SOME NON-MILITARY EQUIPMENT AND EXPLOSIVES) IN 1953.
£
Argentine Republic 20,668
Bolivia 52,303
Brazil 42,099
Chile 165,439
Colombia 70,570
Costa Rica 201
Cuba 1,308
Dominican Republic —
Ecuador 18,149
El Salvador 5,456
Guatemala 386
Hayti —
Honduras —
Mexico 1,961
Nicaragua —
Panama (including Canal Zone) 2,227
Paraguay —
Peru 327,423
Uruguay 23,757
Venezuela 196,463