CONDUCT OF THE RIGHT HONOURABLE MEMBER FOR THANET SOUTH AND ASTRA DEFENCE SYSTEMS;LTD

That this House notes that between 5th June 1989 and 7th June 1990 the Right honourable Member for Thanet South was a director of Astra Defence Systems Ltd and in this capacity attended two board meetings held on 26th July and 3rd October 1989 at which consideration was given to reports concerning a project called Diana which involved the supply of an air defence system, guns and ammunition to Thailand and a contract to supply 126 naval guns to Chile; further notes that both these countries were used at the time as conduits for the supply or arms to Iran, and in particular Iraq, in breach of the arms embargo and that the whole surface fleet of the Chilean navy consisted of just 31 vessels at the relevant time; further understands that these matters were the subject of the Right honourable Member's evidence to the Scott Inquiry; and calls on him in the public interest to publish his evidence.