Written question asked by Lord Gilbert (Labour), in the House of Lords. It was answered by Lord Astor of Hever (Conservative) on Wednesday, 24 November 2010.

Armed Forces: Aircraft

Question: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have had any discussions with other members of the consortium manufacturing the A400M aircraft about Her Majesty’s Government’s freedom to sell the A400M aircraft to other countries; and, if so, with whom.

Answer: Contractual negotiations between partner nations and Airbus Military on the A400M programme are at an advanced stage. Disclosure of Airbus Military’s obligation to seek permission from partner nations for exports could be exploited by competitors and therefore harm Airbus Military and its suppliers. There is no known intention to limit Airbus Military's export campaign in practice. Indeed, we fully anticipate that the A400M will be an attractive proposition for many countries beyond the initial consortium and the Ministry of Defence will actively support any such export campaign.

Secondary information