§ Lord Aveburyasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will give details of licences issued for the export of arms to Bahrain since the beginning of 1999. [HL4293]
§ The Minister for Science, Department of Trade and Industry (Lord Sainsbury of Turville)The entry in the relevant 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 1 January 1999 and 15 October 1999,15 Standard Individual Export Licences (SIELs) and 14 Open Individual Export Licences (OIELs) were issued for the export to consignees or end-users in 13ahrain of goods subject to export control by being listed in Part III of Schedule 1 to the Export of Goods (Control) Order 1994, commonly known as the Military List. Individual licences may cover a range of goods with various ratings (and OIELs may also cover a range of countries). Where this is so, the licence is included in the table in the total for all of the relevant ratings (and/or countries).
58WA
Individual Licences issued between 1 January 1999 and 15 October 1999for the export to Bahrain of goods on the Military List Rating No of SIELs issued covering goods with this rating No of OIELs issued covering goods with this rating ML1 6 1 ML2 2 1 ML3 1 2 ML4 0 2 ML5 3 6 ML6 0 3 ML7 0 1 ML8 0 1 ML9 0 9 ML10 1 2 ML11 0 6 ML12 0 1 ML13 0 1 ML14 0 2 ML15 1 3 ML16 0 1 ML17 0 1 ML18 0 1 ML19 0 1 ML20 0 1 ML21 0 1 ML22 0 1 PL5002 0 1 PL5006 0 1 PL5014 0 1 PL5017 2 1 PL5018 1 1 PL5020 0 1 PL5030 0 1 PL5031 0 1 PL5033 0 1 PL5034 0 1 This information does not cover any Media OIELs that may have been issued during this period. Media OIELs authorise the export to all destinations of protective clothing, mainly for the protection of aid agency workers and journalists, when working in areas of conflict.
This information should be considered in light of the answer given by my honourable friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Competition and Consumer Affairs to the Member for Kingswood on 27 July 1999, House of Commons Official Report, columns 307–308.
In addition, Bahrain is a permitted destination on certain Open General Export Licences, covering the export of goods on the Military List; copies of all Open General Export Licences valid at any time during the period are in the Library of the House.