HC Deb 15 July 1997 vol 298 cc133-5W
Mrs. Clwyd

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if she will list(a) the number and (b) the categories of export licences granted for the export of military, security, police surveillance systems to Indonesia since 1988, indicating the (i) type of equipment or systems, (ii) companies to whom the licences were granted and (iii) destination agency. [3620]

Mrs. Roche

To identify equipment in these broad categories would entail a significant computer and paper record search which could be done only at disproportionate cost.

Mrs. Clwyd

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if she will make a statement on the(a) number and (b) categories of export licences granted to Arte Systems Ltd. for the transfer of surveillance or communication systems and equipment to Indonesia since 1988. [3636]

Mrs. Roche

Readily available records, since 1991, show that no export licences for this equipment to Indonesia have been granted to Arte Systems Ltd. To search records for earlier years would involve disproportionate costs. Moreover the Grays Group Limited have confirmed in writing that no export licence applications have been made or licences granted to the company.

Mrs. Clwyd

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if she will list the licences granted for the export of 40mm grenade launchers to Indonesia since 1988. [3383]

Mrs. Roche

The export of 40mm grenade launchers are controlled under entry ML2 of the Export of Goods (Control) Order. To identify licences covering these specific goods, all licences assessed as coming under ML2 would need to be searched and this can be done only at disproportionate cost.

Mrs. Clwyd

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if she will list the(a) number and (b) categories of open (1) individual and (2) general export licences granted to (i) Procurement Services International and (ii) Greys Defence Systems since 1988 for the export of military security and police equipment or services to Indonesia indicating the equipment and services provided. [3692]

Mrs. Roche

Neither Procurement Services International nor Greys Defence Systems hold current Open Individual Export Licences, nor have we any record of these companies ever holding such licences.

Open General Export Licences (OGELs) are not issued to specific exporters. They can be used by any exporter provided, in most cases, they register as an OGEL user. There are four OGELs, which allow the export of certain goods controlled under the Military List (Schedule 1 of Part III of the Export of Goods (Control) Order 1994, as amended) to a wide range of destinations including Indonesia. Three of these OGELs require exporters to register if they are using them. Neither Greys Defence Systems or Procurement Services International are registered. The fourth OGEL allows licensable goods to be exported after prior importation into the UK for exhibition purposes. It could not therefore be used for UK origin exports.

Mrs. Clwyd

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if she will list the companies which are current applicants for export licences covering command, control, communication and information systems to Indonesia. [3434]

Mrs. Roche

There are no current export licence applications for command, control, communication and information systems to Indonesia.

Mrs. Clwyd

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if she will list(a) the licences granted for the export of System X to Indonesia, (b) which agency it was destined for and (c) the year in which it was exported. [3525]

Mrs. Roche

Although some advanced optional features of the System X telephone exchange remain licensable, the majority of System X systems were removed from export control in 1992. From readily available records, which date from 1991, no export licences have been granted for this equipment to Indonesia.

Mrs. Clwyd

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if she is minded to grant current export licence applications for the command, control, communication and information systems to Indonesia. [3435]

Mrs. Roche

There are currently no such applications. Should any applications for such goods be received in the future they would be considered in light of the outcome of the Government review of the criteria used in considering licence applications for the export of conventional weapons announced on 22 May.

Mrs. Clwyd

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what control she has over the transfer of(a) armoured vehicles and (b) armoured personnel carriers to (i) Indonesia and (ii) other countries from the GKN Defiance licensed production facility in the Phillippines. [3639]

Mrs. Roche

The control of exports from the Phillippines is a matter for the Phillippine Government. Any export of licensable goods from the UK to the Phillippines would be subject to UK export controls.

Mrs. Clwyd

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if she will list the (i) number of (ii) categories of open general export licences granted to(a) Greys Defence Systems and (b) Procurement Services International since 1988 for the export of military, security and police equipment or services to Indonesia; and if she will make a statement on the equipment and services provided. [3687]

Mrs. Roche

Open General Export Licences (OGELs) are not issued to specific exporters. They can be used by any exporter provided, in most cases, they register as an OGEL user. There are four OGELs, which allow the export of certain goods controlled under the Military List (Schedule 1 of Part III of the Export of Goods (Control) Order 1994, as amended) to a wide range of destinations including Indonesia. Three of these OGELs require exporters to register if they are using them. Neither Greys Defence Systems nor Procurement Services International are registered for any of these. The fourth OGEL allows licensable goods to be exported after prior importation into the UK for exhibition purposes. It could not therefore be used for UK origin exports.