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British MPs concern

at Hawks' sale to India

LONDON: Six MPs in an early day motion in the House of Commons expressed concern over plans to supply India with 22 Hawk 100 aircraft which they feared could be used to repress further the people of Kashmir and urged British Government to cancel any contract in this regard.

The motion was tabled by Max Madden, Lynne Jones, Neil Gerrard, Ms Liz Lynne, Harry Barnes and Dr Norman A. Codman.

The motion describing the conflict in Kashmir as potentially the most dangerous in the world, asked the British Government to take action to persuade the UN to intervene on the basis of its resolutions to enable the people of Kashmir to determine their own destiny.

Max Madden, MP from Bradford West, was told by Minister of State at the Foreign Office Sir Nocholas Bonsor in the Commons in reply to Parliamentary question the other day that during the last five years there have been a number of occasions when Foreign Office ministers have commended Hawk to the Indian authorities.

To an earlier question from the same MP, the Minister for Defence Procurement Arbuthnot stated that the Indian Air Force has a requirement for a number of advanced jet trainer aircraft. Britain Aerospace, he said, has offered a variant of the Hawk aircraft to meet the requirement.

Earlier on February 29 this year, The Deputy Prime Minister Michael Heseltine replying to a question from Max Madden on behalf of the Prime Minister, said that the Prime Minister has commended the Hawk to the Indian Prime Minister on more than one occasion.

Max Madden was also informed by the DTI Minister Eggar that a number of DTI (Department of Trade and Industry) ministers have been involved in discussions and visits with British Aerospace over the last five years which would have included the prospects for Hawk in India.

Max Madden was campaigning against the deal as the Hawk 100 aircraft can be easily converted for front-line use and any deal by the British Government with India would seem another case of the Government putting trade before human rights.

The contract which he feels would be finalised after Indian elections would involve supply of 22 Hawks worth 600 million pounds.-APP