HL Deb 14 July 1982 vol 433 cc454-6WA
Lord Brockway

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What was the value of military equipment supplied from the United Kingdom to Argentina in each year from 1970 to 1981.

The Minister of State for Defence Procurement (Viscount Trenchard)

The information is not readily available in the form requested, and could be ascertained only at the expense of disproportionate effort.

Lord Brockway

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they will confirm that contracts were signed in the United Kingdom since 1970 to supply Argentina with the following military equipment: an aircraft carrier, 6 coastal minesweepers, 2 Type 42 frigates (one built in Argentina under licence), Seacat ship-to-air missiles, 20 Tigercat and 12 Sea Dart surface-to-sea missiles, Shorland armoured cars, 9 Canberra B62 bomber aircraft, 10 Lynx helicopters, 100 sub-machine guns, Ferranti "Isis" sights, Ferranti "Seaspray" radar for helicopters, Decca "Clearscan" radar and Redifon HF and VHF radio systems for patrol boats, gear pumps for frigates, rediffusion radio systems and transmitters for naval stations, Rolls-Royce engines for jet trainer aircraft, "Morgrip" bolts for naval vessel propellors, Racal-Decca ESM for radio and radar eavesdropping, 250 Mach/airspeed indicators for counter-insurgency aircraft, pneumatic controls for patrol boats, man-portable anti-aircraft missiles, and Plessey Ferranti modifications for Type 42 frigates.

Viscount Trenchard

It has been the policy of successive Governments not to disclose details of individual defence sales. Information on arms sales to Argentina which has been released in recent weeks shows that a range of equipment has been supplied over a long period with the approval of successive Governments.