Defence Equipment: Saudi Arabia

Mr. Laws
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which officials of the Defence Export Services Agency were interviewed by the Serious Fraud Office as part of its recent inquiry into defence sales to Saudi Arabia; and if he will make a statement.

Des Browne
The Ministry of Defence co-operated fully with the Serious Fraud Office investigation. As the Attorney-General said in his statement in another place on 14 December 2006, Official Report, columns 1712-13, ‘public comment about the case must inevitably be limited in order to avoid causing unfairness to individuals who have been the subject of investigation’. The details of who was interviewed remain confidential.