§ Mrs. Bainasked the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if he intends to give clearance to orders placed by Iran for defence support vessels, should the Iran 658W Government wish to make payment by heavy oil;
(2) what orders for defence aircraft, placed by Iran, were cleared for payment by heavy oil; what was the total value of such orders; and what role was played by the British Government in clearing such a form of payment.
§ Dr. GilbertWe do not normally give details of individual contracts for the purchase of defence equipment. Negotiations on the method of payment for contracts is a matter for individual firms, but the Government would prefer payments to be made in cash whenever possible.