§ Mr. AltonTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the British companies, which manufacture or have manufactured mines, which have received finance from Her Majesty's Government or the United Nations to clear minefields, together with the number of occasions on970W which each company has received such funding. [16822]
§ Mr. Douglas HoggI have been asked to reply.
No British mine-manufacturing companies have received finance for mine clearance from us. The UN on one occasion financed Royal Ordnance, a company which has in the past manufactured mines, to undertake a mine clearance project. I understand that Royal Ordnance has not manufactured mines for the past 10 years.