Electro-shock Weapons (Hansard, 8 February 1995)

§ Mr. Welsh
To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on the policy of Her Majesty's Government on the manufacture and supply318W of (a) electro-shock weapons and (b) instruments of torture by United Kingdom companies to countries with an established record of using torture.

§ Mr. Ian Taylor
[holding answer 30 January 1995]The manufacture of electro-shock weapons is prohibited under the Firearms Acts 1968 to 1992 and requires the specific authority of my right hon. and learned Friend the Home Secretary and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland. My Department gives careful consideration to applications for the export of weapons. In considering such proposals special care is taken over the political and military implications of allowing consignments to go overseas. Particular attention is paid to countries with poor human rights records, where equipment might be used for internal repression. The Government deeply deprecate the export of any equipment knowingly to be used as an instrument of torture. The difficultly in this area lies in the fact that many perfectly innocuous goods may be misused for such purposes overseas and it is not practical to control the export of such items. However, if any such cases are brought to the Government's attention we shall make the strongest possible representations to those involved. If they are ignored, we will examine what steps could be taken to prevent export from taking place. When realistic, enforceable controls arc possible we can act urgently to impose them.

§ Mr. Welsh
To ask the President of the Board of Trade what financial assistance has been given by his Department to United Kingdom companies actively involved in the manufacture, marketing and supply of electro-shock weapons, and if he will make a statement.

§ Mr. Ian Taylor
[holding answer 30 January 1995]I am not aware of any such companies.

§ Mr. Welsh
To ask the President of the Board of Trade what recent representations he has received on the manufacture, marketing and supply of(a) electro-shock weapons and (b) instruments of torture; and if he will make a statement.

§ Mr. Ian Taylor
[holding answer 30 January 1995]A number of people, including right hon. and hon. Members, have written to me about the allegations in the Channel 4 television programme "Dispatches" on 11 January 1995. The companies involved have made public denials of the allegations.

§ Mr. Welsh
To ask the President of the Board of Trade what information he has on the manufacture and supply of(a) electro-shock weapons and (b) instruments of torture by United Kingdom-based companies; and if he will make a statement.

§ Mr. Ian Taylor
[holding answer 30 January 1995]None.

§ Mr. Welsh
To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is the policy of his Department in providing financial assistance to firms involved in the manufacture, marketing or supply of electro-shock weapons; and if he will make a statement.

§ Mr. Ian Taylor
[holding answer 30 January 1995]I know of no such companies.

§ Mr. Welsh
To ask the President of the Board of Trade what assurances are sought from United Kingdom companies active in the manufacture, marketing and supply of(a) electro-shock weapons and (b) instruments of torture that such assistance as is given to them will not 319W be used to facilitate trade in and support the marketing of electro-shock weapons.

§ Mr. Ian Taylor
[holding answer 30 January 1995]I know of no such companies.