§ 3.12 p.m.
§ LORD COLYTONMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the second Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ [The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government what armaments including aircraft, transport, telecommunications and other military equipment, have been supplied from Britain to Israel and to individual Arab States respectively since the 1967 June war.]
THE PARLIAMENTARY UNDERSECRETARY OF STATE FOR DEFENCE, R.A.F. (LORD WINTER-BOTTOM)My Lords, it is the established practice, followed by successive Govern- 1542 ments, not to disclose details about the supply of arms and military equipment to individual countries.
§ LORD COLYTONMy Lords, I am afraid that I regard that as a most unsatisfactory reply, and I must ask two supplementary questions of the noble Lord. While I am sure that we are all most anxious to see a just settlement of this tragic conflict, is it not most inequitable that modern armaments, such as Chieftain tanks, should be supplied to some of the Arab countries, which we know is a fact, and be denied to Israel? The second question is this: Is it not wholly wrong that Britain should have recently agreed to sell Lightning jet fighters and Red Top guided missiles to Iraq who, quite apart from any attacks they may be making on Israel, are at present engaged in aggressive action against Iran, which is an ally of ours in the CENTO Pact?
LORD WINTER BOTTOMMy Lords, although I can understand clearly the noble Lord's interest in these problems, which of course interest us all, nevertheless if we are to supply defensive equipment abroad at all what is of interest to this House is a matter of security to the individual nations who purchase from us. For this reason I simply cannot—Her Majesty's Government cannot—give detailed information about arms supplied to individual countries. This is a long-established practice.
§ THE EARL OF SWINTONMy Lords, may I ask the Minister this question? We all know the general rule about not giving particulars of arms supplied, but how is Parliament to keep any control over the supply of arms either to Israel or to Arab States if the Government refuse to give information as to what amount of arms have been supplied to either one or the other? If the Government refuse to give that information, then surely Parliament, which ought to control, is absolutely impotent in the matter.
§ LORD WINTERBOTTOMMy Lords, the noble Earl is dealing with a very important subject. Since we are in the very near future to have a number of days' debate on the Queen's Speech, may I suggest that that might provide an occasion to probe this subject very thoroughly; but not at Question Time to-day.