HC Deb 14 November 1997 vol 300 cc686-7W
Mr. McDonnell

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the equipment formerly used by the United Kingdom armed forces which has been sold overseas since 1995 stating in each case the date sold, the type of equipment sold and the recipient country. [15016]

Mr. Spellar

This is a matter for the Chief Executive of the Disposal Sales Agency. I have asked the Chief Executive to write to my hon. Friend.

Letter from Malcolm Westgate to Mr. John McDonnell, dated 14 November 1997: I am replying to your question to the Secretary of State for Defence about sales of surplus Armed Forces equipments overseas, as this matter falls within my area of responsibility as Chief Executive of the Disposal Sales Agency. Attached at Annex A is a list of complete major surplus defence equipments sold to overseas Governments since the beginning of 1995, either directly or through UK companies. Thee have also been sales of substantially incomplete equipments, associated spares and relatively minor material to overseas Governments, either directly or through UK companies, but it would require disproportionate effort to identify them all. However, I would be glad to expand on the list given at Annex A so far as I can without breaching customer confidentiality. All the sales listed were subject to the usual stringent export control procedures required in the sale of all defence equipments overseas.

Sales of major surplus defence equipments overseas since 1995
Type of equipment sold Recipient country Date of sale
Leander Frigate (ex-RN) India February 1995
M109 Self-propelled Guns (ex-Army) Austria February 1996
Vehicles (ex-Army) Malta July 1996
Type 22 Frigates, Batch 1 (ex-RN) Brazil August 1996
River Class Minesweepers (ex-RN) Brazil August 1996
Light Armoured Recovery Vehicles (ex-Army) Austria March 1997
Sales of major surplus defence equipments overseas since 1995
Type of equipment sold Recipient country Date of sale
Wessex Helicopters (ex-RAF) Uruguay June1997
105 mm Light Guns (ex-Army) Botswana June 1997
Vehicles (ex-Army) Malta August 1997
Peacock Class Hong-Kong Patrol Craft (ex-RN) Philippines August1997
105 mm Light Guns (ex-Army) Eire September1997

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