§ 31. Mr. Eldon Griffithsasked the Lord Privy Seal what effort he is making to improve relations with Iran; and in particular if he will now encourage and as appropriate support the efforts of British industry to restore trade with Iran, especially in capital equipment.
§ Sir Ian GilmourWe hope that release of the United States hostages will pave the way for a better overall relationship between Iran and the West. We for our part wish to build a normal relationship with Iran in the future, but the continuing detention of four Britsh subjects in Iran places an important obstacle at present in the way of this.
Our trade sanctions against Iran have been lifted and no official restrictions exist on civil trade. However, there continue to be local difficulties in Iran which firms should take into account when pursuing their business interests there. We naturally keep these matters under continual review.