---

Dept of Trade and Industry

Answer

Mr. Nigel Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the (a) type and (b) value of export contracts to the Iraqi Ministry of Defence for each year since 1979; and if she will list those contracts which were supported by export credits. [148539] Ms Hewitt: I apologise for the delay in responding to this question. This Department does not keep records of contracts to the Iraqi Ministry of Defence. From records available, the contracts with Iraqi defence ministries which were supported by ECGD's Project Group during this period were as follows: _________________________________________________________________________________________________. Year Type £ million 1986 Radio Communications Equipment 26.4 1986 Vehicle-mounted aircraft ground power 1.6 units 1986 Radio Communications Equipment 9.7 1986 Radio Communications Equipment 5.5 1986 Radio Communications Equipment 0.7 1986 Radars 0.9 1987 Vehicle-mounted aircraft ground power 4.2 units 1997 Motor Generator Units 0.9 1988 HF Receiving Stations 0.2 1988 Scanning Electron Microscope 0.1 1989 Aircraft Ground support air conditioning 2.9 system _________________________________________________________________________________________________. Additionally during this period ECGD's Insurance Services Group--privatised in 1991--provided credit insurance cover for a number of contracts with Iraqi defence ministries on cash or short terms of payment. From the partial records available at the time of Lord Justice Scott's Inquiry (comprehensive records were only available from 1987), ECGD was able to document having approved over £220 million of credit limits in respect of business on such terms with Iraqi defence ministries, but corresponding records of the amount of business actually transacted against these limits were not available. ECGD did not require to be advised of the types of goods supported under these short term policies although it was a condition of cover that an export licence be obtained by the exporter where this was required. This information was made available by ECGD to Lord Justice Scott at the time of his Inquiry.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

419 c729-30W;419 c731-2W; 148539

Session

2003-04

Subjects

Contracts Defence equipment Exports Iraq Export credit guarantees

Contains statistics

Yes

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk