HC Deb 30 November 1992 vol 215 cc63-4W
Mr. Llew Smith

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will give the details of all discussions which Ministers or officials of his Department had with International Military Services on its exports to Iraq.

Mr. Aitken

[holding answer 25 November 1992]: International Military Services has signed only one export contract with Iraq since 1980. Details of this were given to the House on 2 July 1991.

Mr. Llew Smith

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what evaluation has been made by Her Majesty's Government of the effect on Iraq's military capabilities of sales of military equipment or dual-use engineering technology by United Kingdom companies following their attendance at the Baghdad international military equipment exhibition and fair in April 1989.

Mr. Aitken

[holding answer 27 November 1992]: The Government have studied the Iraqi defence industry and its military procurement activity. Apart from case-by-case assessments of individual export licence applications, no specific study has been undertaken by Her Majesty's Government on the effect of exports by united Kingdom companies on Iraq's military capability following the Baghdad exhibition.

Mr. Llew Smith

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on his Department's monitoring of the Advanced Technology Institute in connection with military exports to Iraq.

Mr. Aitken

[holding answer 27 November 1992]: My Department monitors all organisations which we have any reason to suspect may be trying to procure military technology for Iraq.

Mr. Llew Smith

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list by date all written, telephonic and personal communications Ministers or officials of his Department had with(a) Matrix Churchill Ltd., (b) Alliance International Group, (c) Allivane International Ltd., (d) Ordtech Ltd., (e) Autel Ltd. and (f) Consarc Ltd. in regard to Iraq since 1985.

Mr. Aitken

[holding answer 27 November 1992]: The information the hon. Gentleman requests is not held centrally and could not be provided without incurring disproportionate cost.

Mr. Foulkes

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what responses have been made by his Department to requests and reports received from the United Nations Special Commission of Inspection on Iraq or its executive chairman, Rolf Ekeus; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Aitken

[holding answer 26 November 1992]: The Government have made a significant contribution to the work of the United Nations Special Commission on Iraq as it seeks to implement relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions. In response to UNSCOM's requests, we have supplied MoD personnel as part of the UNSCOM inspection teams and some specialist equipment. It is not our practice to comment in detail on the information given to us by UNSCOM.