§ Mr. WilshireTo ask the President of the Board of Trade at what time and on what date she first saw a copy of the letter addressed to the Foreign Secretary from S J Berwin & Co. on behalf of Sandline International dated 24 April. [42130]
§ Mrs. BeckettMy Department provided advice to Ministers on this letter on Wednesday 6 May 1998, when I was overseas. Following my return I saw the text of the letter on Tuesday 12 May.
§ Mr. BluntTo ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) on what dates since 1 May 1997 the Restricted Enforcement Unit has met; and on how many occasions the Unit has invited Her Majesty's Customs and Excise to commence an investigation into illegal arms exports in breach on UN Security Council resolutions; [42693]
(2) if she will list the officials who attended the Cross-departmental Restricted Enforcement Unit on 18 February. [42695]
§ Mrs. Beckett[holding answer 19 May 1998]: I refer the hon. Member to the statement by the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs in the House during the debate on 18 May 1998, Official Report, columns 606–08, in which he announced the investigation by Sir Thomas Legg KCB QC into allegations about Government involvement with the supply of arms to Sierra Leone by UK citizens and firms, and said that the 318W Terms of Reference would be placed in the Library of the House. The Foreign and Commonwealth Secretary intends to publish the report of the investigation.