HC Deb 22 January 1997 vol 288 cc612-3W
Mrs. Clwyd

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will review the procedure by which the Bahrain Public Security Directorate was able to buy a proportion of its police and security requirements through the Crown Agents; and on how many occasions similar procedures have been used in respect of other countries. [11804]

Dr. Liam Fox

The functions of the Crown Agents when acting as agents for the procurement of goods and services are set out in the Crown Agents Act 1979. The Government have laid down no special procedures for purchases for Bahrain. Crown Agents have operating procedures which apply to all their work as agents. An indication of the extent of this work and the clients involved is given in the Crown Agents' annual report and accounts, copies of which are in the Libraries of the House.

Mrs. Clwyd

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list(a) the police and security requirements provided to Bahrain through the Crown Agents and (b) the British companies which supplied the goods and services. [11833]

Dr. Fox

The Crown Agents provide services to the Government of Bahrain on commercial terms; provision of information about specific goods and services is a matter for the Crown Agents' clients.

Mrs. Clwyd

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assurances were(a) asked for by the UK Government and (b) given by the Government of Bahrain that the equipment supplied through the special purchase procedure will not be used for internal repression. [11806]

Dr. Fox

The Crown Agents' functions when acting as agents for procurement of goods and services are set out in the Crown Agents Act 1979. Where the export of goods is prohibited without an export licence, the Government would not licence equipment assessed as likely to be used for internal repression.

Mrs. Clwyd

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when the procedure which enabled the Bahrain Public Security Directorate to buy police and security equipment through the Crown Agents began; and if the arrangement still exists. [11805]

Dr. Fox

The British Government have specified no special procedure for purchases for Bahrain. The Crown Agents have always acted as procurement agents for overseas principals. Their powers to do so are currently set out in the Crown Agents Act 1979; that Act is still in force.