HC Deb 19 April 1994 vol 241 cc504-6W
Mr. Cousins

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if projects approved as part of the offset programme are subject to export licence, COCOM and missile technology control regime controls.

Mr. Aitken

Yes.

Mr. Cousins

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what dates delegations to Saudi Arabia were organised by the Offset Office; and if he will list the members of those delegations.

Mr. Aitken

The British Offset Office has arranged two high-level visits to Saudi Arabia to promote Al Yamamah Offset. The members of the first delegation, which visited from 16-21 February 1990, were:

Mr. Roy Allen ICI
Mr. Cedric Brown British Gas
Sir James Craig Saudi British Bank
Mr. Alec Daly GKN
Sir Ronald Grierson GEC
Mr. George Moody-Stuart Booker Tate
Mr. Alan Nickalls NEI International Ltd.
Mr. Gilbert Phillips Pilkington
Mr. Michael Rouse British Aerospace
Mr. Richard Turner STC

The second delegation visited from 3 to 9 May 1991. Its members were:

Mr. Richard Barnes British Aerospace
Mr. Tony Belisario Dowty Defence and Air Systems
Mr. Antony Bruce John Brown
The Hon. David Douglas-Home Morgan Grenfell International
Mr. John Elliott Burmah Castrol
Mr. John Hill Wessex Water
Mr. John Lawrence Thorn Security
Mr. Jake Stewart British Steel
Dr. Brian Tempest Glaxo
Mr. Damien Turner British Aerospace
Mr. Peter Usher Vosper Thomycroft UK

In addition the British Offset Office organises ad hoc visits to Saudi Arabia for companies as required.

Mr. Cousins

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the membership of the British Offset Committee in each year that committee has existed, together with the principal business interest of the private sector members.

Mr. Aitken

The Al Yamamah Offset Committee met for the first time in March 1987. Its members were:

Chairman

  • Sir Colin Chandler—Head of Defence Export Services, MOD

Members

  • The Hon. David Douglas-Home—(Morgan Grenfell International Ltd) representing COMET—Mr. Alan Titchener
  • DTI—Dr. Maurice Dixson—British Aerospace
  • Dr. David Mitchell—Rolls Royce.
  • Mr. Philip Curry—MOD
  • The following changes to membership took place at subsequent meetings.

December 1987

  • Mr. John Weston (British Aerospace) replaced Dr. Dixson.
  • Mr. Colin Craig (Schroder Asseily) joined the Committee; Mr. Curry (MOD) left the Committee.

September 1988

  • Mr. Ian Dixon (DTI) replaced Mr. Titchener.
  • Mr. Richard Spink (FCO) joined the Committee.

February 1990

  • Sir Alan Thomas (MOD) replaced Sir Colin Chandler.
  • The Hon. David Gore-Booth (MOD) joined the Committee.
  • Mr. Michael Rouse (BAe) replaced Mr. Weston.
  • Mr. Petter (DTI) replaced Mr. Dixon.

May 1991

  • Mr. Michael Janner (MOD) replaced Mr. Richard Spink.

April 1992

  • Mr. Damien Turner (British Aerospace) replaced Mr. Rouse.

September 1992

  • Mr. John Hill (Saudi British Bank) replaced The Hon. David Douglas-Home as representative of COMET.

May 1993

  • Dr. Noel Brehony (Rolls Royce) replaced Dr. Mitchell.

December 1993

  • Mr. Ian Cliff (DTI) replaced Mr. Petter.
  • Mr. David Hewitson (British Aerospace) replaced Mr. Turner.

Mr. Cousins

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the projects(a) approved and (b) commenced under the offset office programme.

Mr. Aitken

Projects currently approved, but not yet commenced, under the Al Yamamah offset programme are:

  • Missile Engineering Facility
  • Rolls Royce participation in the Middle East Propulsion Company
  • Oil seed manufacture
  • Materials handling systems
  • Lightweight marble and granite manufacture
  • Water treatment equipment

In addition, the following projects have commenced implementation:

  • Glaxo pharmaceutical plant
  • Tate and Lyle sugar refinery
  • Vocational training facility
  • British Aerospace participation in Aircraft Accessories and Components Company (AACC)

Mr. Cousins

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what links exist between the Offset Office and the Export Credits Guarantee Department; and whether approval under the offset programme is always accompanied by Export Credits Guarantee Department approval.

Mr. Aitken

No special links exist between the Al Yamamah Offset Office and the Export Credits Guarantee Department. Cover arrangements are a matter for ECGD and participants in individual projects.

Mr. Cousins

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when his Department set up an Offset Office for Saudi Arabia; and what the costs of this office have been in each succeeding year.

Mr. Aitken

The British Offset Office was set up in 1987. It forms part of the Saudi Armed Forces Project Office in the Ministry of Defence, the costs of which are met by the Government of Saudi Arabia.