§ Lord Aveburyasked Her Majesty's Government:
How many people were employed in the Defence Sales Organisation at the end of 1980 and 1981 respectively, and whether they will publish any directions or guidelines issued to the organisation regarding the sale of arms to régimes with a bad record on human rights.
§ The Minister of State for Defence Procurement (Viscount Trenchard)The strength of the Defence Sales Organisation was 355 at the end of 1980 and 348 at the end of 1981.
The Government's general policy is to withhold approval for the export of arms to a country where there are serious abuses of human rights and where the equipment is, in our judgment, likely to be used for the purpose of internal repression.
House adjourned at one minute past nine o'clock.