§ Lord Kennetasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will defer taking decisions on the five major defence procurements for which tenders have been invited, listed in Earl Howe's Written Answer of 8th July (col. WA5), until they have examined the long-term implications for this country of the presence of ex-Ministry of Defence officials and ex-United Kingdom Armed Forces personnel in the United States firms now tendering for these contracts, who are still subject to the Official Secrets Acts and who may be in breach of them; and
Whether they will defer taking decisions on the five major defence procurements for which tenders have been invited, listed in Earl Howe's Written Answers of 8th July (col. WA5), until they have examined the long-term implications for this country of the possible multi-billion pound costs to the United Kingdom of the expansion of NATO, and the probable effects of the latter on future defence budgets; and
Whether they will defer taking decisions on the five major defence procurements for which tenders have been invited, listed in Earl Howe's Written Answer of 8th July (col. WA5), until they have examined the long-term implications for this country of the revolution in military affairs now in progress in the United States, including the increasing use of space for the deployment of weapons, sensors, triggers etc., the prospects of information warfare and the likely consequences of these developments for United States military strategy and for the United States' relations with its allies; and
Whether they will defer taking decisions on the five major defence procurements for which tenders have been invited, listed in Earl Howe's Written Answer of 8th July (col. WA5), until they have examined the long-term implications for this country of the network of bilateral military agreements now being negotiated by the United States with governments of Central and Eastern Europe outwith NATO and OSCE; and
Whether they will defer taking decisions on the five major defence procurements for which tenders have been invited, listed in Earl Howe's Written Answer of 8th July (col. WA5), until they have examined the long-term implications for this country of the Helms-Burton Act and other announced United States legislation making unlawful claims of extraterritorial jurisdiction over British firms and individuals.
95WA
Earl HoweDecisions on defence procurements are taken only after all relevant factors have been taken into account.