§ Mr. CorbynTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many licences for military, security and police exports to Tunisia have been approved by his Department in the last five years; and if he will list the nature of the equipment, together with any current applications being considered. [95098]
§ Dr. HowellsThe entry in the relevant legislation under which the export of goods is controlled is known as their rating. The Export Control Organisation's computer
Standard Individual Export Licences issued for the export to Tunisia of goods on the Military List Rating 1994 1995 1996 1 January 1997 to 1 May 1997 1998 1 January 1999 to 12 October 1999 ML1 1 2 2 1 0 0 ML2 1 1 0 0 1 1 ML3 1 1 1 0 0 0 ML4 0 0 1 1 2 0 ML5 1 0 0 0 1 1 ML7 0 2 0 0 1 0 ML9 0 0 1 0 0 0 ML10 2 0 0 0 1 2 ML11 4 2 4 1 2 1 ML13 1 0 0 0 0 0 ML15 0 0 2 1 0 0 PL5001 0 0 0 0 1 0 PL5006 0 0 1 2 0 0 PL5017 0 0 1 0 0 0 PL5027 1 0 0 0 0 0
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Open Individual Export Licences issued for the export to Tunisia of goods on the Military List Rating 1994 1995 1996 1 January 1997 to 1 May 1997 1998 ML1 1 0 0 1 1 ML2 1 0 0 0 0 ML3 1 0 0 0 0 ML4 5 0 0 1 0 ML5 4 1 2 1 0 ML6 1 0 0 0 0 ML8 6 1 0 1 1 ML9 2 0 1 1 1 ML10 14 3 2 3 2 ML11 6 2 1 1 1 ML13 1 1 0 0 1 ML14 1 1 0 0 1 ML15 1 0 0 2 1 databases have been interrogated and the following results were obtained. Between 1 January 1994 and 12 October 1999, 57 Standard Individual Export Licences (SIELs) were issued for the export to consignees or end-users in Tunisia 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. Between 1 January 1994 and 31 December 1998, 71 Open Individual Export Licences (OIELs) were issued for the export to Tunisia of such goods; no OIELs were issued for the export of such goods to Tunisia between 1 January and 12 October 1999.
Details of all SIELs and OIELs issued between 2 May and 31 December 1997 were set out in the Government's Annual Report on Strategic Export Controls, published by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in March 1999. This Report gives details of the military equipment licensed for export during the period as well as the ratings of these goods. Similar details of the military equipment licensed in later years will be set out in the relevant Annual Reports.
A breakdown of the licences issued between 1 January 1994 and 1 May 1997, and between 1 January 1998 and 12 October 1999 are set out in the table. 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.
Open Individual Export Licences issued for the export to Tunisia of goods on the Military List Rating 1994 1995 1996 1 January 1997 to 1 May 1997 1998 ML16 1 0 0 0 0 ML18 1 0 0 0 0 ML22 3 0 0 1 0 PL5001 1 0 0 0 0 PL5002 0 0 0 0 1 PL5018 0 0 0 0 1 PL5027 2 0 0 0 0 At 12 October 1999, decisions had not yet been taken on seven applications for OIELs to export such goods to Tunisia; there are no such applications pending for SIELs.
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Pending applications for OIELs covering the export of goods on the Military List to Tunisia Rating Number of applications pending ML9 3 ML10 3 ML18 1 ML22 3 PL5017 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 I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Kingswood (Mr. Berry) on 27 July 1999, Official Report, columns 307-08.
In addition, Tunisia 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.