§ Mr. CousinsTo ask the President of the Board of Trade on what date the Cymbeline artillery locating system was given an export licence for export to Iraq.
§ Mr. HeseltineIt has been the policy of successive Administrations not to disclose details about export licences that have been issued. However, the Government reserve the right to release the information, in exceptional circumstances, where it is in the public interest. This is one of those exceptional cases.
Since 1985, export licences have been issued for the export of Cymbeline radars and spares to Iraq on: 28 June 1985, 18 and 20 June 1986, 1 September 1986, 8 January 1987, 11 August 1987, 16 May 1988, 22 November 1988, 19 January 1989 and 7 July 1989. Two of the export licences were revalidated on 2 March 1990. Existing licences were withdrawn by, and returned to, the DTI following the imposition of sanctions on Iraq in August 1990.
§ Mr. CohenTo ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will indicate the amount of public subsidy to the export of armaments in the last five years for which figures are available and the projected figure for the next twelve months.
§ Mr. NeedhamSales of defence equipment sold on credit terms of two years or more and insured by ECGD are eligible for support under the Department's fixed rate export finance scheme.
In the four years up to 1992–93 a net public expenditure cost was incurred under the scheme as a whole but in the last financial year there were net receipts. The breakdown of these figures between defence and civil business is not collected and is not readily obtainable.
§ Sir David SteelTo ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make it his policy that the increase in654W export credits will not be used to facilitate arms deals with countries with poor human rights records.
§ Mr. NeedhamThe export licensing system, which is the responsibility of the DTI's export licensing unit takes account of issues such as the human rights record of overseas Governments. The insurance cover provided by the Export Credits Guarantee Department is conditional on export licences being obtained where required.