§ Mr. Batisteasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what are the new modified procedures agreed at the high-level COCOM meeting on 6 and 7 February for reviewing its list; into which four segments the list is divided for review purposes; and in which sequence the segments will be reviewed.
§ Mr. ChannonThe division of COCOM lists has been arranged so that each segment contains similar list items grouped together and that there is a logical sequence of items between the segments, which will normally be reviewed between June of one year and the following June. In general terms, the first segment covers components and the associated manufacturing machinery and processes, chemicals, metalloids and petroleum products, and the atomic energy list; the second covers chemical and petroleum equipment, electronic communications equipment and related technology, and computers and software; the third covers metals minerals and their manufactures, metal working machinery, robotics and communications and fibre optic related list items, including telecommunications switching systems; and the fourth covers test equipment, transportation equipment, related electronic detection measurement and test equipment and their components, and the munitions list.
§ Mr. Batisteasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how he proposes to consult the information technology industry prior to the annual reviews by COCOM of segments of its list.
§ Mr. ChannonMy officials will follow the normal consultation process of approaching the relevant trade associations concerned, but, as always, we will be ready to consider the views of any interested parties. My Department issued a press notice on 4 March seeking firms' urgent views on those list items to be reviewed in the first segment. Copies of this notice were sent 319W separately to trade associations and specialist trade journals, and it was also reprinted in my Department's weekly journal British Business on 8 March.