HC Deb 29 March 1995 vol 257 cc648-9W
Mr. Llew Smith

To ask the President of the Board of Trade whether his Department refused any applications for temporary export licences for companies to exhibit at the IDEX 95 defence exhibition held in the United Arab Emirates in March. [15968]

Mr. Ian Taylor

No.

Mr. Llew Smith

To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many temporary export licences were issued to companies wishing to exhibit at the International Defence Exhibition, IDEX, in Abu Dhabi in March. [15967]

Mr. Ian Taylor

Licences for the temporary export of controlled goods are valid for 12 months. In the 12 months leading up to IDEX, beginning 1 April 1994, the Export Control Organisation issued 125 licences for temporary export valid for Abu Dhabi and the United Arab Emirates. Licences for temporary export are usually for the purpose of "display", "exhibition", "demonstration" and similar reasons. The particular forum for the display or exhibition of the goods in question is not always specified. I cannot therefore say specifically whether or not all the licences referred to above were to enable the goods in question to be exhibited at IDEX.