§ Mr. Robert Atkinsasked the Secretary of State for Defence what commitments were given to his Department by the French Government or Air Force as to the purchase of Nimrod AEW aircraft, before commercially confidential information about the project was made available to such representatives.
§ Mr. Archie HamiltonNone.
§ Mr. Robert Atkinsasked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the criteria whereby his Department allowed French Defence Ministry and French Air Force officials to be privy to commercially confidential information in connection with the Nimrod AEW project; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Archie HamiltonBecause there are potential savings to be obtained through a joint airborne early warning procurement, the French authorities, with the agreement of both GEC Avionics Ltd. and the Boeing Aerospace company, have been given commercially confidential information about both the systems we are still considering.