HC Deb 11 June 1996 vol 279 cc91-2W
Mr. Purchase

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the cost of his investigation into the BMARC affair; and if he will publish the findings of the investigation. [32198]

Mr. Arbuthnot

Work undertaken by my Department to examine allegations that BMARC supplied naval guns to Iran via Singapore in the mid to late 1980s, including the work involved to assist the Trade and Industry Committee with its current BMARC inquiry, necessarily involved a number of officials in different parts of the MOD to varying degrees over the past 15 months. Records have not been routinely kept on time spent on this activity by officials and it is not therefore possible to provide the information requested.

My Department has submitted a written memorandum to the Committee and officials have appeared to provide oral evidence relevant to the inquiry. We stand ready to provide any further assistance that the Committee may require.