	u s said unfairly protecting defense industry britain s defence minister george younger said the u s was unfairly protecting its defence industry and this could lead to british firms demanding counter measures younger told a u s chamber of commerce meeting that u s legislators were failing to realise the true nature of the two way street in terms of ideas technology and equipment a british parliamentary report said that up to march british firms had been awarded just mln dlrs worth of contracts for the strategic defence initiative compared with the billion dlrs britain had hoped to secure the committee said u s technology export restrictions and selectiveness towards foreign contractors had denied british competitors more lucrative orders and largely excluded them from technological research for sdi younger said london had given u s companies contracts under conditions of fair and open competition all we ask is for our companies to be given similar opportunities he added if new american legislation aimed at curbing unfair subsidies was used to exclude foreign suppliers it would not be surprising if british firms pressed for retaliatory measures younger said reuter 
