HL Deb 20 December 1995 vol 567 c148WA
Lord Kennet

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether the United Kingdom, other NATO members, or other OSCE members have been consulted by the United States on its proposals to central and east European countries that they should now be permitted to buy the most advanced US weapons; and what bearing on such transactions has the Conventional Forces in Europe Convention.

Lord Chesham

The UK is committed to responsibility in conventional arms transfers and we routinely encourage other arms suppliers to observe similar responsibility in their own export policies. To this end we maintain regular contact with allies—including the US—on a range of issues related to the transfer of conventional arms, including, where necessary, to central and eastern Europe.

The Conventional Forces in Europe Treaty limits the amounts of five specific types of heavy military equipment (tanks, armoured combat vehicles, artillery pieces, attack helicopters and combat aircraft) which States Parties may deploy in the treaty area. States Parties would need to ensure that any new equipment so deployed remained within the relevant treaty limits.