HC Deb 10 March 2000 vol 345 c873W
Mr. Chidgey

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his letter to the Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of 2 February concerning his investigation into allegations of a breach of the ban on the export of leg irons, if he will list those US authorities and their departments from whom he enlisted assistance; what form of record was written and to whom in the course of this assistance; and if he will place copies of this material in the Library. [112932]

Mr. Hain

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 15 February 2000,Official Report, column 490W. We were grateful for the assistance of the US authorities, via the US Embassy in London, in helping us carry out investigations into the allegations in The Independent newspaper on 16 and 17 November. The US Embassy did not provide us with a written report.

We are not aware of any illegal conduct on the part of UK individuals or companies. Should any evidence be produced, we would of course pass it on to the appropriate investigative authorities.