§ Mrs. LaitTo ask the President of the Board of Trade what plans there are to harmonise the system of export licences across the European Community.
156Wtourist boards over the last five years; the estimated outturn for the current year; planned totals for the next three years; and the amount spent per head of adult resident population in each year at current prices. Allocations to the national tourist boards reflect the differing circumstances and priorities in each country; direct comparisons are therefore misleading.
§ Mr. NeedhamOn 31 August 1992 the Commission of the European Communities adopted a proposal for the Council regulation on the control of exports of certain dual-use goods and technologies and of certain nuclear products and technologies.
The proposed regulation aims to provide a framework for common export controls to be applied by member states to dual-use and nuclear goods leaving the territory of the European Community, and for the harmonisation of export licensing systems. Member states are continuing to discuss Commission proposals in a Council high level working group set up for this purpose.
§ Mrs. LaitTo ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will consider introducing a system of blanket export licences on the line of that operating in the Netherlands.
§ Mr. NeedhamThe United Kingdom already operates a system of open general export licences—OGELs—which are similar to the global export licences issued in the Netherlands. An open general export licence is a general authorisation permitting the export of a range of controlled goods to a range of destinations without the need for prior application to the Department of Trade and Industry. Its use is subject to compliance with the conditions of the licence. There are currently eight open general export licences in force.