asked the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what is meant by the expression "pre-financing" in relation to the Shir Iran order; what portion of the value has already been received; what guarantees have been given as to the balance; and by whom such guarantees have been made;(2) how many Shir Iran tanks have been completed; how many have been delivered to the Iranian army; how many are currently under assembly; and what is the proposed time for completion of the original order.

Pre-financing in this context means that sufficient funds are provided by the purchasing country to meet expenditure as it is incurred and any associated liabilities.It has been the practice of successive Governments not to disclose detailed information on individual orders.