§ Mr. CousinsTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if Ministers approved the on-sale by Jordan of 29 British-supplied armoured recovery vehicles to Iraq. [16393]
§ Mr. ArbuthnotIn 1981, the Jordanian Government requested permission from the UK to supply to Iraq 29 armoured recovery vehicles planned to be exported to Jordan under a memorandum of understanding. Approval was given, as required by the memorandum, since the supply was consistent with Government policy at that time, which was that no lethal equipment would be exported to Iraq, the vehicles in question being classified as non-lethal. The arrangement was made before the establishment of the Iran-Iraq export guidelines in 1984.