Iraq (Exports)

Mr. O'Neill
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what communications took place between his Department and Sheffield Forgemasters regarding the sale of metal tubes to Iraq prior to 11 April.

Mr. Alan Clark
None.

Mr. O'Neill
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what communications took place between his Department and the firm Walter Somers regarding the sale of equipment to Iraq prior to 11 April.

Mr. Alan Clark
My Department has records of two occasions on which telephone conversations took place between Walter Somers Ltd. and a Ministry of Defence metallurgical expert in 1988.

Mr. O'Neill
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what communications took place between his Department and the hon. Member for Bromsgrove (Sir H. Miller) concerning contracts with Iraq prior to 11 April.

Mr. Alan Clark
These matters are being looked into at present.