HC Deb 30 January 1996 vol 270 cc671-2W
Mr. Meacher

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will estimate the amount paid under Export Credits Guarantee Department guarantees since 1980 in relation to trade with(a) Jordan and (b) Saudi Arabia; if he will give the amount paid to banks under buyer credit and line of credit facilities, the amount paid directly to exporters under short-term or supplier credit facilities and the amount subsequently recovered; and if he will estimate the proportion of each figure paid in respect of (i) the export of military and related equipment and (ii) the export of military and related equipment where the end user has been assessed to have been Iraq. [11251]

Mr. Nelson

[holding answer 24 January 1996]: As at the end of December 1995, the total amount of claims paid and recoveries made since 1980 under ECGD guarantees in relation to trade with Jordan and Saudi Arabia was as follows:

£ million
Claims Paid Recoveries
Buyers credit and lines of credit Short term and supplier credit Buyer credit and lines of credit Short term and supplier credit
Jordan 273 14 38 14
Saudi Arabia 0 63 0 26

The ECGD estimates that approximately 85 per cent. of the claims paid on Jordan in respect of project and capital goods were in respect of military and related equipment. The ECGD does not maintain its records in a way which enables it to categorise its short-term business by industry sector.

The ECGD has no record of cases where the end user was in Iraq.

Mr. Meacher

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what has been the total principal value of payments by the Export Credits Guarantee Department to the Midland bank since 1980 in respect of trade with Saudi Arabia by(a) Astra Holdings and its subsidiaries, (b) British Aerospace and its subsidiaries, (c) Royal Ordnance and its subsidiaries, (d) Vickers and its subsidiaries, (e) Racal and its subsidiaries, (f) Plessey and its subsidiaries and (g) Thorn EMI and its subsidiaries. [11308]

Mr. Nelson

[holding answer 24 January 1996]: The ECGD has no record of payments to Midland bank since 1980 in respect of capital goods and project business with Saudi Arabia by any of the named companies. In the case of its now privatised short-term business the ECGD maintains no record of the supplier in cases where it has paid claims to banks.