Mr. O'NeillTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his oral statement of 19 February,Official Report, columns 331–32, in which year he will order a further batch of air-launched anti-radar missiles; how much money will be spent in each of the next five years on that order; and what information relating to this order he has supplied to the management of Marconi Defence Systems, Lucas Aerospace, Irving and Thorn EMI.
§ Mr. Alan ClarkSubject to the agreement of satisfactory terms, we expect to order the further batch of air-launched anti-radar missiles this year. It is not our practice to publish details of our future expenditure plans on a year-by-year basis, nor of our contacts with individual companies about prospective defence contracts.