§ Lord Mackenzie of Framwellgateasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will continue to impose an arms embargo on Afghanistan in line with the European Union's Common Position on 17 December 1996. [HL67]
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions (Lord Whitty)Her Majesty's Government remain committed to the EU arms embargo against Afghanistan, which the UK interprets as covering all goods and technology entered on Part III to Schedule 1 to the Export of Goods Order 1994, as amended.
Following consultations with this department and the Ministry of Defence, the Department of Trade and Industry recently approved two export licences: the first for the export of mine-clearance suits for use by the United Nations Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Assistance to Afghanistan in its demining operations and the second for the export of mine clearance equipment for use by the Halo Trust to aid their demining activities also in Afghanistan. The grant of these licences is for humanitarian purposes, and is consistent with the purpose of the embargo.