HC Deb 10 July 1995 vol 263 cc470-1W
Mr. Llew Smith

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what investigations he has initiated since 18 June within his Department to locate all outstanding BMARC documents. [30520]

Mr. Soames

[holding answer 29 June 1995]: The deputy chief constable of the MOD police ordered a thorough re-sort of the seized property held by them and is now satisfied that all outstanding documents which were seized by the MOD police from Astra holdings and its subsidiaries, during the course of an investigation into corruption involving those companies, have been located and have been returned to their rightful owners.

Dr. David Clark

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 4 April,Official Report, column 1098, what investigations his Department undertook to determine which documents had been returned to the receivers of Astra in June 1993. [30050]

Mr. Soames

[holding answer 22 June 1995]: The documents returned to the receivers of Astra in June 1993 were listed on the seized property forms which related to them and these are the record of the seized property which was returned at that time.

Dr. Clark

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how additional documents were located by his Department's police relating to the arms companies BMARC and Astra. [30051]

Mr. Soames

[holding answer 22 June 1995]: I have nothing to add to my answer of 19 June, Official Report, column 31, to the hon. Member.

Mr. Wilson

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the action taken in connection with the files referred to in Detective Inspector Berry's letter to Cork Gully of 27 January 1993. [30103]

Mr. Soames

[holding answer 27 June 1995]: No reply was received from Cork Gully by Detective Inspector Berry to his letter of 27 January 1993. After a further letter from Detective Inspector Berry, dated 15 June 1993, and subsequent telephone conversations, a large number of documents were delivered to Cork Gully. It was believed at the time that these were all of the property seized by the Ministry of Defence police from Astra holdings and its subsidiaries, during the course of an investigation into corruption involving those companies.

Mr. Wilson

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on which occasions Ministers in his Department communicated with Ministry of Defence police concerning the letter from Detective Inspector Berry to Cork Gully of 27 January 1993. [30105]

Mr. Soames

[holding answer 27 June 1995]: None before it was sent.