§ Ann ClwydTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 24 July 1997,Official Report, column 708, if he will make a statement on the use of Hawk aircraft in East Timor since 1983. [41447]
§ Mr. FatchettWe have studied all the information available about allegations of Hawk being used in East Timor. We are confident that UK supplied Hawk aircraft have not been used in East Timor or, indeed, in a counter-insurgency role in Indonesia.
§ Ann ClwydTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy to ensure the British and French proposals for a code of conduct governing arms transfers will give priority to the protection of human rights in Indonesia over the maintenance of a strong defence industry. [41550]
§ Mr. FatchettDiscussions with EU partners on the text of the Code of Conduct are continuing. Our policy is that the Code should apply to all arms exports to all destinations, and should specify that Member States will refuse an export licence if there is a clear risk that the proposed export might be used for internal repression.