HC Deb 04 December 1956 vol 561 cc1032-4
26. Mr. Swingler

asked the President of the Board of Trade the total values of military and para-military equipment exported to the Arab States and to Israel, respectively, in the last five years.

Mr. Low

It is not the usual practice to disclose the value of military equipment sold to foreign countries, but certain figures covering exports of both civil and military goods are published from time to time. The figures relating to Israel and Egypt were circulated in the OFFICIAL REPORT of 22nd November and those relating to Iraq, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon, yesterday. With permission, I will circulate the figures for the remaining Arab countries in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

Mr. Swingler

While thanking the right hon. Gentleman for those facts, may I ask whether it would be a fair inference from these figures to say that Her Majesty's Government have spent a

UNITED KINGDOM EXPORTS
Value £ thousand
— Year 1951 Year 1952 Year 1953 Year 1954 Year 1955 Jan.-June, 1956 Total Jan., 1951–June, 1956
Explosives (including industrial explosives) to:
Bahrain, Qatar and Trucial Oman 27 13 16 31 42 10 381
Kuwait 26 28 45 107 36
Saudi Arabia 44 74 52 11 45 46 272
Yemen — 2 3 1 2 — 8
Muscat and Oman 0 1 2 2 4 6 15
Libya 2 4 14 2 3 28 53
Sudan 24 50 16 34 20 31 175
Arms, ammunition and military stores and appliances (including sporting guns and some other non-military material) to:
Bahrain, Qatar and Trucial Oman 5 26 37 7 17 8 334
Kuwait 86 100 14 16 18
Saudi Arabia 12 1 1 0 3 1 18
Yemen 1 0 1 — — — 2
Muscat and Oman 0 15 12 1 29 2 59
Libya 1 3 12 13 17 3 49
Sudan 20 181 143 163 206 245 958
Aircraft and parts (including civil aircraft) to:
Bahrain, Qatar and Trucial Oman 42 60 48 20 144 23 799
Kuwait 1 4 76 173 202
Saudi Arabia 1 15 38 58 4 87 203
Yemen — 3 — — — 3 6
Muscat and Oman — — — — 0 — 0
Libya 52 65 19 14 17 9 176
Sudan 38 75 88 56 35 13 305
0 = less than half the final digit shown.
— = nil.

great deal of time in the last few years arming the enemies of Israel and increasing tension in the Middle East by supplying comparatively large quantities of munitions, in particular to Col. Nasser's forces?

Mr. Low

I would not agree with that inference. I would much rather that the hon. Member and the House waited and examined the figures before drawing inferences.

Mr. Dugdale

How much of this equipment was exported after the Government were aware that large Russian exports were going to Col. Nasser?

Mr. Low

That is another question.

Following are the figures: