HC Deb 05 December 1975 vol 901 cc375-6W
Mr. David Steel

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if British firms have provided equipment for the Advokaat system in South Africa.

Mr. Mason

Project Advokaat is a private industrial development being undertaken by a German company for South Africa. If the Question refers, as I assume it does, to defence equipment, I would refer the hon. Member to the statement made in the House on 4th December 1974 by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs.—[Vol. 882, c. 1555.]

Mr. David Steel

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if the NATO codification system for equipment and spares has been provided to the South African Government.

Mr. Mason

The NATO Codification system is an unclassified and completely open automatic data processing method for the identification and stock numbering of equipment. It is used by a number of non-NATO countries, including South Africa. The United Kingdom does not provide NATO codification information to South Africa in cases where such information relates to embargoed equipments.