§ 7. Mr. Allen McKayasked the Secretary of State for Defence whether countries purchasing weapons during the Floater '83 exhibition to the Middle East will he required to sign end-user certificates.
§ Mr. Ian StewartAll Government-to-Government sales agreements and, where appropriate, major firm-to-Government contracts, contain sole-use clauses designed to ensure that British defence equipment is not transferred to third parties without the agreement of Her Majesty's Government.
§ Mr. McKayIn view of the number of arms caches found in southern Lebanon by Israeli defence forces, what assurances can the Under-Secretary of State give that in the Arab states that are hosting this exhibition, where successful sales will be followed by end-user certificates, arms will not fall into terrorists' hands or go to any other organisation against our wishes?
§ Mr. StewartCircumstances in the Middle East are taken into account carefully, as they are in other parts of the world, before licences are given for the export of such equipment. The floating exhibition is visiting Qatar, Bahrain, Dubai, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Abu Dhabi, Jordan and Egypt. We shall closely follow our normal processes in those and other countries.
§ Mr. NelsonDoes my hon. Friend attach any significance to the fact that the world's largest arms exporter, which is also the country that subscribes least to end-user certificates, is the Soviet Union?
§ Mr. StewartI hope that the House will draw its own conclusions from what my hon. Friend has said.
§ Dr. McDonaldAs representatives from Iran and Iraq may well visit the exhibition at its various ports of call, does that mean that British neutrality involves the sale of arms to both sides in a time of war?
§ Mr. StewartNo, Sir, it does not. Our policy on the sale of arms to Iraq and Iran is one of neutrality and we shall supply no lethal equipment while the war continues.