HC Deb 30 July 1997 vol 299 cc329-31W
Ann Clwyd

To ask the President of the Board of Trade, pursuant to her answer of 21 July,Official Report, column 448, if she will list the other equipment, including weapons systems, covered by the six other export licences granted in respect of Hawk aircraft to Indonesia on (a) 19 December 1995 and (b) 22 November 1996. [10447]

Mrs. Roche

I will write to my hon. Friend as soon as possible and place a copy of that letter in the Library. Inquiries are being made as regards the release of the information under the non-statutory code of practice on access to Government information and, since confidential information is involved, the consent of the company is being sought for the disclosure of that information.

Mr. Colvin

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if she will make a statement on her current policy for licensing defence exports. [10641]

Mrs. Roche

I refer the hon. Member to the announcement made by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on 28 July 1997,Official Report, columns 26–29, of the outcome of the review of the criteria used in considering applications for licences to export conventional arms.

Mr. Key

To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many defence export licence applications were awaiting final Government approval on(a) 1 April, (b) 1 May, (c) 1 June and (d) 1 July. [10759]

Mrs. Roche

[holding answer 28 July 1997]: The management data on the processing of licence applications by the Export Control Organisation are compiled on the basis of four-week periods rather than monthly, and by management unit rather than by the type of goods.

Accordingly, I am not able to give the position on precisely these dates as regards applications for licences to export goods entered under part III of schedule 1 to the Export of Goods (Control) Order 1994—commonly known as the military list. However, I can give the following information on applications for individual licences to export controlled strategic goods, including goods on the military list.

Number of applications for individual export licence awaiting a decision
Number
5 April 1997 1,702
3 May 1997 1,822
31 May 1997 1,844
27 June 1997 2,007

Ann Clwyd

To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many export licences have been issued to Alvis since 1990 in respect of Indonesia, stating in each case the date of the licence and the type of equipment covered by it, including the numbers of each type. [10342]

Mrs. Roche

[holding answer 24 July 1997]: I will write to my hon. Friend as soon as possible and place a copy of that letter in the Library. Inquiries are being made as regards the release of the information under the non-statutory code of practice on access to government information and, since confidential information is involved, the consent of the company is being sought for the disclosure of that information.

Ann Clwyd

To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many licence applications for arms and equipment exports to Indonesia are awaiting approval; if she will list the types of equipment and categories involved in the licence applications; and when she expects the decisions on the applications to be taken. [10575]

Mrs. Roche

[holding answer 25 July 1997]: At 24 July, a decision had not yet been reached on 59 applications for licences for the export of a wide range of goods controlled under part III of schedule 1 to the Export of Goods (Control) Order. The time taken to reach a decision will vary from case to case, and will depend on the time required for consultation with other Departments.