§ Mr. LivingstoneTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what assessment his Department has made since 1990 of the implications of information being exchanged between Libya and the biological warfare programme organised by South Africa's former apartheid regime; what were the conclusions of this assessment; when this assessment was started and finished; what action has been taken in the light of this assessment; and if he will make a statement; [53088]
(2) what assessment his Department has made of the implications of the extent and nature of the biological warfare programme organised by South Africa's former apartheid regime, what were the conclusions of this assessment; when this assessment was started and finished; what action has been taken in the light of this assessment; and if he will make a statement. [53087]
§ Mr. SpellarA thorough assessment of South Africa's biological warfare programme was made as part of the continuous process by which the UK Government monitor the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. I am withholding further details under Exemption 1 of the Code of Practice for Access to Government Information, relating to Defence, Security and International relations.