§ Mr. BakerTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what support his Department has given to British Aerospace with regard to that company's contract to supply Hawk jets to India; [156871]
(2) what Ministers from his Department have been involved in discussions with (a) BAE and (b) the Indian Government regarding the contract to supply Hawk jets to India. [156872]
§ Dr. Moonie[holding answer 4 April 2001]: In accordance with the Ministry of Defiance's responsibility for promoting legitimate defence exports in co-ordination with industry, MOD has given full support to BAE Systems' bid to supply Hawk jets to India.
In fulfilling this responsibility, the Secretary of State for Defence and the Minister for Defence Procurement have met with BAE Systems and the Indian Government to discuss the Hawk proposal.