Beryllium (Hansard, 15 October 2002)

§ Mr. Tynan
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what factors underlay the decision to license the export of beryllium to(a) India and (b) Iran in 2001. [74697]

§ Nigel Griffiths
All relevant export licence applications are rigorously assessed on a case-by-case basis against the consolidated EU and national arms export licensing criteria and other previously announced Government policies. The consolidated criteria include a specific reference to the UK's international obligations and commitments that work to prevent the proliferation of both conventional weapons and weapons of mass destruction.
The Government's export licensing policy for Iran was set out in the reply given by my hon. Friend the Member for Manchester, Central, to my hon. Friend the Member for Rugby and Kenilworth on 28 January 1998, Official Report, columns 273–274W.
Since the publication of the 2001 Annual Report on Strategic Export Controls it has come to light that the entry for Beryllium, licensed for export to India, was incorrectly reported. In any case, the application was refused.

§ Mr. Yeo
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will list the occasions on which a licence has been granted by the Government for the export of Beryllium since 2 May 1997, stating for each licence(a) the country to which export was granted and (b) the quantity of the export. [74389]

§ Ms Hewitt
The export of beryllium is controlled under entries ML8 of Part III, Schedule 1 of the Export of Goods (Control) Order 1994, and IC111, 1C230 and 6C004 of Annex 1 to Council Regulations (EC) No. 1334/2000.
Details of all export licences issued are published by destination in the Government's Annual Reports on Strategic Export Controls. Copies of the 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2001 Annual Reports are available from the Libraries of the House. Since the publication of the 2001 Annual Report it has come to light that the entry for beryllium, licensed for export to India, was incorrectly reported. The application was refused.
Between 1 January 2002 and 17 September 2002 no Standard Individual Export Licence or Open Individual Export Licence was issued for the proposed export of beryllium.
Information on the quantity of beryllium licensed for export is being withheld from disclosure under Part II, Exemptions 13 and 14 of the Open Government Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.