§ Mr. Lathamasked the Prime Minister whether she will outline the policy of Her Majesty's Government regarding the supply of British made weapons or spare parts to either belligerent power in the war between Iran and Iraq; whether this policy has remained in place throughout the conflict; and what steps have been taken to ensure that it has been fully implemented and supervised throughout.
§ The Prime MinisterFrom the beginning of the conflict in 1980, we have consistently been impartial and adopted a highly restrictive policy on the supply of defence equipment to Iran and Iraq.
In 1984 this policy was refined to make it clear that we would not sell any defence equipment to either side that could significantly enhance their capacity to prolong or exacerbate the conflict. The revised guidelines were announced to the House by my right hon. and learned Friend the Foreign and Commonwealth Secretary on 29 October 1985 at column 454. The guidelines are applied rigorously and fairly.