67
Board of Trade,
Great George Street.
S.W.1.
18th November, 1985.
Sir,
I am directed by the Board of Trade to enclose, for the information of the Royal Commission on the Private Manufacture of and Trading in Arms, a memorandum on the licensing system for the control of exports of arms which has been prepared by the Board of Trade in collaboration with the Foreign Office, Admiralty, War Office, Air Ministry and Board of Customs and Excise, and it is submitted with their
concurrence.
The memorandum is completed by two confidential statements (reproduced on pink paper) relating (1) to considerations taken into account by the Foreign Office in advising on the issue of licences for the export of war material from the United Kingdom, and (2) to all cases in which applications for licences to export war material have been refused, with reasons for refusal, during the period 1st January, 1929 to 30th September, 1935. The Board and the other Departments concerned hope that the Royal Commission will agree that neither of these two statements should be made public in view of the information which they contain regarding the policy adopted by His Majesty's Government in relation to certain other Governments. They also hope the Royal Commission will agree that any questions which the Members of the Royal Commission may wish to ask witnesses with regard to matters contained in those statements should be asked in private session.
I am to add that the representatives of the above- mentioned Departments who will attend before the Royal Commission to give evidence with regard to the licensing system for the export of arms will be prepared each to deal with those matters in the memorandum and statements which affect his own Department.
I am, Sir,
Your obedient Servant,
(Sgd.) W.B. Brown.
The Secretary,
Royal Commission on the Private Manufacture of and Trading in Arms,
8, Buckingham Gate, S.W.1.