§ Mr. Cabornasked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make it his policy henceforth to refuse permission to officers of the British forces to serve in the South African Defence Force.
§ Mr. StanleyUnder the Government's present policies any request for a serving officer of the armed forces of the United Kingdom to be attached to the South African defence forces would be refused.
§ Mr. Cabornasked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will give details of the measures taken to prohibit all forms of military co-operation with South Africa, as agreed in the Commonwealth accord on Southern Africa adopted on 20 October 1985.
§ Mr. StanleyThe last major defence arrangement between the two countries, the 1955 agreements on the Simonstown naval base (Cmnd. 9520) were terminated by an exchange of letters between Governments in June 1975 (Cmnd. 6229). The United Kingdom operated a voluntary arms embargo against South Africa from 1974 and then introduced legislation in 1978 in order to comply with UN Security Council resolution 418 which imposed a mandatory arms embargo with South Africa. The United Kingdom does not import arms, ammunition and military vehicles produced in South Africa in accordance with UN Security Council resolution 558. In addition, no South African service men have received training at British military establishments, nor have British service men received training at South African military establishments, since 1976. As my right hon. Friend the then Minister of72W State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs announced on 20 November 1985 in column 263, the British military attaches in Pretoria have been withdrawn.