Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the amount of outstanding debt is owed to Iran by International Military Service Ltd incurred on purchases of UK manufactured military equipment in the 1970s; and what steps his Department is taking to lawfully discharge that debt.

It is acknowledged that there is a debt to be paid but it would be inappropriate to comment further while legal proceedings are ongoing. The Government continues to explore every avenue for the lawful discharge of that debt.