International Military Sales Ltd Debate
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Nadine Dorries
Main Page: Nadine Dorries (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)Department Debates - View all Nadine Dorries's debates with the Ministry of Defence
International Military Sales Ltd
Nadine Dorries Excerpts(10 years, 8 months ago)
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Nadine Dorries (in the Chair)
I am sorry, Ms Seabeck, but because you were not here at the beginning of the debate, it is not in order for you to intervene. [Interruption.]
Nadine Dorries (in the Chair)
May I clarify that Ms Seabeck is not allowed to intervene in this half-hour debate because she is the Opposition spokesperson?
Mr Dunne
Thank you, Ms Dorries. We all learn something new every day.
IMS employs two part-time staff members and three directors. The position of the Ministry of Defence and the Treasury is that the company should be wound up once the final disputes have been settled. I think that that addresses a number of points raised by my hon. Friend.
My hon. Friend mentioned the incident that took place in January last year, in which three Iranian officials were detained and deported from Heathrow airport. The former Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for North East Bedfordshire (Alistair Burt), wrote at the time to the UK legal representatives of those concerned, explaining that although it was not the intention of the Government to cause undue anxiety, since the attack on our embassy in Tehran in 2011, Iranian officials had not been allowed to visit the UK in their official capacity. The Government regret any distress caused to those involved. Following the softening of the sanctions regime, we think it would now be possible for Iranian officials to engage with IMS, either on neutral territory or, indeed, here again in the UK, if they were willing to return.
To sum up, the Government and IMS recognise and accept the rulings of the Dutch Supreme Court in this matter. A number of issues remain unresolved and are subject to potential litigation, but we hope that a final settlement can be agreed soon. The parties are not very far apart in financial terms, and we hope that they can come to a resolution without further recourse to the courts. I hope that I have explained the Government’s position on this matter.
Question put and agreed to.