§ Mr. BrazierTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action his Department has taken to investigate attempts by Iraq to purchase Russian plutonium in Bulgaria.
§ Mr. Douglas HoggWe are currently following up with all relevant authorities reports in a Sunday newspaper of alleged attempts to sell plutonium from the Commonwealth of Independent States to the Iraqi embassy in Sofia. The Bulgarian authorities have seized some material which they assess to be of no significant proliferation concern. Our own test of a sample which we have received supports this conclusion. But our investigations are continuing.
§ Mr. Llew SmithTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy to raise at the next meeting of the European Foreign Affairs Council the clandestine smuggling of nuclear materials from the former Soviet Union to countries in the middle east.
§ Mr. Douglas HoggI refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply I gave on 23 October 1992, at column404.
§ Mr. Llew SmithTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the new export restrictions on military sensitive equipment and nuclear materials to be imposed under the provisions of the Council regulations on the control of exports of certain dual-use goods and technologies and of certain nuclear products and technologies (COM(92) 317 final).
§ Mr. NeedhamI have been asked to reply.
The proposed Council regulation on the control of exports of certain dual-use goods and technologies is currently the subject of negotiations between member states. The Government's aim is to ensure that there will be no weakening of this country's export controls on such goods as a result of the implementation of this regulation, and that the interests of United Kingdom exporters will be protected. The House will be informed of the outcome of the negotiations.