§ Mr. Parryasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he is satisfied that the two support vessels constructed in the United Kingdom under contract for the Iranian Government cannot be used in the Arab conflict in the Gulf war; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. LuceThe two vessels currently under construction for the Iranian Government at Yarrow Shipbuilders are unarmed support vessels, particularly suited for disaster relief operations, with extensive medical facilities.
We do not consider that they have any relevance to the conflict between Iran and Iraq, nor to attacks on shipping in the Gulf.