§ Mr. NellistTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much, in each of the last five years, of the Export Credits Guarantee Department budget was available to support overseas defence sales.
§ Mr. Sainsbury[holding answer 21 February 1992]: No amounts are set aside specifically for defence sales. Ministers announced in June 1988 a facility for providing £1 billion of export credit support for major defence exports, Official Report, 28 June 1988, columns 164–65. While the limit has been largely utilised, this represents only the level of defence sales supported within the terms of the facility.