§ Dr. TongeTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has had with the representatives of the defence industry regarding the presence of landmine manufacturers at the arms fair in Chertsey in September. [95242]
§ Mr. SpellarPrior to the opening of the exhibition, my Department was in regular contact with Defence Systems and Equipment International Ltd., the private company which working closely with the defence industry trade organisations organised the event at Chertsey. We made sure that DSEi Ltd. was fully aware of the Government's policies concerning the export of defence equipment, and we sought and obtained from them assurances that they would require exhibitors to comply with these policies and with UK legislation, including the Landmines Act 1998.
214WFollowing allegations in the British media that a Romanian company was promoting anti-personnel landmines at DSEi, we instructed the MOD Police to investigate the matter. Separately, the Romanian authorities have contacted the MOD to explain that, in error, their company had on its stand literature which mentioned an anti-personnel landmine. They have informed us that they stopped manufacturing this item in 1990, but that the company had not updated its equipment lists. We have received an apology from the Romanian authorities, but the MOD Police are still investigating the matter and will submit a file to the Crown Prosecution Service in due course.