§ Mr. MeacherTo ask the President of the Board of Trade what has been the total principal value of payments made by the Export Credits Guarantee Department to the Midland bank since 1980 in respect of trade with Jordan 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 it subsidiaries. [11307]
§ 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 Jordan by any of the named companies. The ECGD has, however, paid £11.2 million claims to Midland bank in respect of business by Airbus Industrie, to which British Aerospace is a supplier. 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.