HC Deb 09 February 1989 vol 146 c767W
Mr. Nicholas Bennett

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his policy on the disposal of surplus small arms.

Mr. Sainsbury

It has been decided that in order to rectify an anomaly in the present rules the special restriction which currently applies to the sale of small arms surplus to service requirements will be lifted. Consequently the export of such weapons will in future be handled in exactly the same way as new weapons, and the same stringent export control measures will apply.