§ Mr. GrayTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1), what guarantee there is in the sale document that HMS Sheffield will never be owned by the Argentinian Government; [105434]
(2) what discussions he has had with (a) the Argentinian Government and (b) the Chilean Government about the sale of HMS Sheffield; [105433]
(3) what plans he has to sell HMS Sheffield. [105432]
880W
§ Mr. Ingram[holding answer 28 March 2003]In common with all Government-to-Government sales of surplus United Kingdom defence equipment, the sales documentation for HMS Sheffield contains an undertaking by the buying Government that they will obtain prior formal consent of the Ministry of Defence to the transfer of possession of the ship or its equipments to any third party. Additionally the Government that buys HMS Sheffield from the United Kingdom will be required to apply for an Export Licence from the Department of Trade and Industry, which will involve submission of an end user certificate.
The subject of the sale of HMS Sheffield has been discussed during contacts between United Kingdom and Chilean Defence Ministers on issues of mutual interest since the declaration of the ship for disposal. The subject has not been raised in similar bilateral meetings with the Argentinean Government.
Negotiations over the sale of HMS Sheffield for future use to an acceptable overseas government are in their final stages.