§ Mr. WigleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans he has to monitor the effectiveness of the Export of Goods (Control) Order 1989 in preventing the export from the United Kingdom of equipment directly used in the violation of human rights.
§ Mr. SainsburyThe effectiveness of the Export of Goods (Control) Order is constantly being monitored and the order is amended when necessary. The 1989 order was amended eight times in two years to meet changing needs in export controls and was replaced recently by the 1991 order which contained further amendments.
§ Miss Emma NicholsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will take further action to establish effective channels to receive information from non-governmental organisations on human rights aspects of the export of military, security and police equipment.
§ Mr. SainsburyMy export control organisation receives expert advice from other Government Departments on all export licence applications for licensable military security and police equipment. This advice takes into account the human rights record of the country of ultimate destination. For reasons of commercial confidentiality it has been the practice of successive Governments not to divulge details of individual export licence applications, although general statistics of export licence activity is published. However, I welcome any firm evidence about human rights violations which helps to inform our export licensing decisions.