HC Deb 15 March 1982 vol 20 cc38-9W
Mr. Warren

asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether the whole of the United States content of the Trident purchase will give United Kingdom companies equal opportunities in reverse to bid for United States defence contracts, in accordance with the memorandum of understanding between the two countries.

Mr. Nott

The terms under which the United States is prepared to undertake to permit United Kingdom manufacturers to compete on the same terms as United States firms for subcontracts for Trident II (D5) weapon system components are set out in the exchange of letters dated 11 March 1982 between myself and the United States Secretary of Defense, and contained in Cmnd. 8517. Detailed arrangements will now be established between the Ministry of Defence and the United States Department of Defense to give effect to this agreement.

In the context of the agreement on Trident II, the United States has also stressed the importance which it attaches to the achievement of reciprocal purchases in other areas of defence activity, the general framework for which was established by the 1975 memorandum of understanding between the United Kingdom and the United States.