HL Deb 26 January 1999 vol 596 c140WA
Lord Kennet

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether General Pinochet was intending to visit Royal Ordnance to discuss with them a project, RAYO, for a multiple rocket system with a detachable warhead system, suitable for purchase by poorer countries; and whether such a system, or designs for such, had been at any time cleared for export or transfer from Britain to Chile or elsewhere. [HL545]

Lord Gilbert

Her Majesty's Government are unaware of any plans that Senator Pinochet may have had to visit Royal Ordnance during his recent visit to the UK. These would have been a matter for the Senator and Royal Ordnance plc. The export of missiles is controlled under entry ML4, and that of designs of such missiles, under ML22 in Part 3 of Schedule 1 to the Export of Goods (Control) Order 1994. It would be necessary to examine all the export licences that covered the export to any destination, at any time, of goods with these ratings in order to establish whether or not any of them covered the specified missile or designs for the missile. This work could only be undertaken at disproportionate cost.