§ 55. Mr. David Steelasked the Secretary of State for Defence what criteria are used in deciding which nations should be permitted to benefit from the NATO codification system.
§ Mr. MasonAs the NATO codification system is entirely open and unclassified and simply facilitates the cataloguing and identification of equipment, it can in theory be adopted by any country. Use of the system by non-NATO countries does not give them the right to beneficial treatment over arms purchases. As far as the United Kingdom is concerned, arms sales to non-NATO countries are monitored through our export licensing procedures.