§ Mr. CohenTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when the licence granted in November 1996 for the export of Hawk aircraft to Indonesia will cease to be valid. [103554]
§ Dr. HowellsAs I stated in my answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Cynon Valley (Ann Clwyd) on 29 October 1999,Official Report, column 1015W, all individual licences covering the export or transhipment to Indonesia of military goods or technology have been suspended in accordance with the Common Position, adopted on 16 September, by which EU member states decided to impose an arms embargo on Indonesia for four months. In that answer I also stated that, because the embargo is time restricted, the period of validity of the licences concerned has been extended by four months. Accordingly, the licence granted under the previous administration on 22 November 1996 for the export of sixteen 200 series Hawks has been suspended, and its period of validity extended by four months; it will now expire on 24 March 2001.