§ 2. Mr. Dykesasked the Secretary of State for Defence if he foresees the possibility of further United States orders for United Kingdom military equipment in the current year beyond the contracts and orders already announced.
§ The Under-Secretary of State for Defence Procurement (Mr. Geoffrey Pattie)There are a number of United Kingdom equipments under consideration by the United States Government for use by their Services which we consider could fulfil their requirements. These are being discussed by industry and the Government, and we hope that this will lead to orders being placed. The exact timing of any orders is, however, uncertain, and I cannot predict which contracts will be signed this year. My hon. Friend will be aware that the past year was a most successful year for sales of British equipment to the United States.
§ Mr. DykesI thank my hon. Friend for that reply. Does he still detect a certain reluctance by the American authorities to order European and British equipment? Specifically, is he worried about the Hawk trainer orders, or is he confident that they will go ahead intact?
§ Mr. PattieThere have been some difficulties in Congress in recent weeks and prior to Christmas, but we are confident that the merits of the Hawk will win through. For some of the smaller British companies, not all pans of American industry are as aware as they might be of the working and implication of the 1975 memorandum of understanding. We are considering ways in which we can make this information and knowledge more widely available.