§ Mr. Llew SmithTo ask the President of the Board of Trade when the co-ordinating committee on multilateral export control was notified of the United States decision announced on 26 August to lift existing restrictions on export of computer equipment to China and eastern European countries; and if he will make a statement on the implications of the decision on British export policy for computers to these countries.
§ Mr. NeedhamMy officials were present at the meeting of COCOM—the Co-ordinating Committee for Multilateral Strategic Export Controls—on 30 September 1993 when the US delegation presented its proposals for amending the agreed level of controls on computer equipment by all COCOM members including the US to proscribed destinations, including China and eastern Europe. Agreement to decontrol was reached at a further meeting held on 5 October.
Like our counterparts in the US and other COCOM member states, we are considering the practical issues of implementing in the United Kingdom this more relaxed export control policy. We expect to introduce new measures soon.