§ Mr. CabornTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what letters there are on the Iraqi contract, now known to be for a gun, between his Department and Sheffield Forgemasters; and if he will list the dates of them.
§ Mr. Lilley[holding answer 11 December 1990]: There are two letters to my Department from Forgemasters Engineering dated 18 July 1988 and 2 August 1989, and two letters from my Department to Forgemasters Engineering dated 27 July 1988 and 3 November 1989.
§ Mr. David YoungTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assistance was provided by his Department to British companies seeking to supply machine tools and propellants to Iraq in the late 1980s.
§ Mr. Lilley[holding answer 17 December 1990]: My Department provides assistance to exporters in many ways and Iraq was no different from any other market in this 101W respect. Assistance from my Department does not, however, relieve exporters of the obligation to comply with export licensing requirements.
§ Mr. David YoungTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what advice was given by his Department to exporters of sensitive material to Iraq in the late 1980s.
§ Mr. Lilley[holding answer 17 December 1990]: Guidelines on sensitive exports to Iraq were published in October 1985.