§ Mr. BattleTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on his policy of encouraging the export sale of arms to reduce unit costs to United Kingdom armed services.
§ Mr. Alan ClarkThe Government's policy is to support the sale of British defence equipment overseas whenever this is compatible with the United Kingdom's political, strategic and security interests. Defence exports contribute to a strong, viable defence industry. They also provide longer production runs and enable economies of scale in providing equipment for our own armed services, in addition to the foreign earnings which are reflected in the balance of trade.