Arms Exports (Hansard, 17 July 2002)

§ Tony Baldry
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what additional safeguards his proposed changes to guidelines on UK arms exports will give to the terms of the Export Control Bill. [69467]

§ Mr. Mike O'Brien
The factors which my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary announced on 8 July 2002,Official Report, columns 650–52W, were an elaboration of the Consolidated Criteria.
The Government's proposed Export Control Bill imposes a requirement on the Government to issue guidance about the general principles to be followed when exercising licensing powers, requires that this guidance must address certain issues and provides that the Consolidated Criteria shall be treated as such guidance under the Bill.

§ Ann Clwyd
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether exports licensed under the new criteria on arms export components will be highlighted as such on the annual reports on strategic exports; and whether information as to end-use and ultimate destination of the finished products will be provided in these reports. [69506]

§ Mr. Mike O'Brien
HMG is committed to openness and accountability in arms exports. Our annual reports on strategic export controls are among the most detailed such reports produced by any arms exporting country. The reports will continue to provide details of all export licences approved and refused, as at present.
However, export licences approved or refused on the basis of the factors outlined by my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary in response to a question from my hon. Friend the Member for Sherwood (Paddy Tipping), on 8 July 2002, Official Report, column 650–52W, will not be highlighted as such in the annual reports. Nor does the Government intend to provide in the reports information as to end-use and ultimate destination of finished products produced overseas incorporating UK components. Commercial confidentiality means that we usually cannot reveal such information. And in some cases, when taken with other parts of the Report, this information might reveal details of the recipient country's defence strategy. It would not be practicable to reveal this information selectively in the reports.