§ 34. Mr. Wiggasked the Minister of Defence if he will state the conditions under which the United States Government supplied material under the offshore purchases agreements; and if he will give an assurance that these conditions have been observed.
§ Mr. HeadThe conditions governing the supply of such material are set out in the Mutual Defence Assistance Agreement of 1950, published as Cmd. 7894.
In reply to the second part of the Question, I would refer the hon. Member to the information I gave him in this House on 3rd November.
§ Mr. WiggThe right hon. Gentleman realises the serious nature of this Question. Would he again state categorically 944 whether any off-shore purchased equipment has been used, in contravention of that Agreement, in the Middle East operation?
§ Mr. HeadI have told the hon. Gentleman before that it is impossible to divide this equipment into two categories, one entirely restricted to off-shore purchase, and the other not. It is hopelessly muddled up throughout the whole of our Forces and therefore it is impossible to do that.