HC Deb 22 March 1988 vol 130 c53W
Dr. Thomas

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what are the current agreements by(a) the European Community Council of Ministers and (b) the Commonwealth Heads of State on the import of uranium originating in (a) South Africa and (b) Namibia for processing and subsequent re-export for use in a third state, in each state party to such agreements.

Mr. Mellor

None specifically. A package of restrictive measures agreed by the European Community Council of Ministers in September 1985 included a prohibition on all new collaboration with South Africa in the nuclear sector. The package of economic measures agreed by the Commonwealth Heads of Government in October 1985 included a ban on new contracts for the sale and export of nuclear goods, materials and technology to South Africa.

Dr. Thomas

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he possesses concerning the rules currently adopted by the United States Treasury Department pursuant to the comprehensive Anti-Apartheid Act 1986 covering the import and safeguarding of South African and Namibian origin uranium(a) processed in the United Kingdom before re-export and (b) contracted before 1 July 1987.

Mr. Mellor

The United States Comprehensive Anti-Apartheid Act of 1986 prohibits the import of South African origin uranium ore or uranium oxide to the United States. However, articles such as uranium hexafluoride, which are produced from uranium ore or uranium oxide, and which the United States customs service determines to have been substantially transformed outside the United States, are not subject to the import prohibition.

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