§ Mr. Home RobertsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make it his policy to reply to parliamentary questions concerning sales of defence equipment and arms covered by the 1991 United Nations arms register. [17124]
§ Mr. ArbuthnotWe intend to review the practice of successive Governments not to reveal details of the export of defence related equipment in reply to parliamentary questions.
A paper is today being placed in the Library of the House which sets out current policy and practice in informing Parliament about arms sales matters. We hope that this will be a useful document to take the discussion forward. Copies of the UK returns to the UN arms register covering the export of seven categories of conventional arms have been placed in the House Libraries, on an annual basis, since the system began in 1992.