§ Mr. CoxTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what export licences have been granted since 1 May 1997 for the export of land mines; if he will list the countries and the dates when the licences were granted; and how many land mines were included under each export licence. [64523]
§ Dr. HowellsI have been asked to reply.
The export of land mines is controlled under entry ML4 in the Export of Goods (Control) Order, which also covers bombs, torpedoes, rockets, missiles and related equipment and accessories. The entry in the legislation under which the export of goods is controlled is known as their rating.
The Export Control Organisation's computer databases have been interrogated and the following results were obtained. Between 2 May 1997 and 4 December 1998, 890 individual licences were issued covering the export of goods with the relevant rating: 844 Standard Individual Export Licences and 46 Open Individual Export Licences (OIELs).
It would entail disproportionate cost to determine if any of these licences covered land mines. However, I refer my right hon. Friend to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary to my hon. Friend the 498W Member for Sheffield, Hillsborough (Helen Jackson) on 21 May 1997, Official Report, columns 72–73, which set out the Government's policy on the import, export, transfer, manufacture and use of anti-personnel land mines.
The information on licences should be considered in light of the answer given by the then Minister for Small Firms, Trade and Industry, my hon. Friend the Member for Hornsey and Wood Green (Mrs. Roche), to my hon. Friend the Member for Don Valley (Caroline Flint) on 30 October 1997, Official Report, columns 870–71.
The Government are also committed to reporting annually on the state of strategic export controls and their application. As the Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, my hon. Friend the Member for Manchester, Central (Mr. Lloyd), stated in his answer of 14 July 1998, Official Report, column 149, to my hon. Friend the Member for Birmingham, Selly Oak (Dr. Jones), the annual report will list by country of destination the numbers of export licences issued in each equipment category and give details of the military equipment for which licences have been granted. This information will also be given in future reports.