§ Mrs. ClwydTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 7 December,Official Report, column 264, about the export of weapons to Indonesia, if he will list export equipment refused a licence because it was deemed likely to be used for internal repression; and if he will give dates.
§ Mr. David DavisThis Government, like all previous Governments, does not comment in detail on information on specific export licence applications since this information is commercially confidential.
§ Mr. SoleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he has taken to inquire from British civil personnel working on arms sold to Indonesia by Britain whether the arms have been used for internal repression.
§ Mr. GoodladWe have made inquiries of those sources likely to be well informed on this question. No evidence has emerged that British-supplied defence equipment has been used against civilians in Indonesia or East Timor.
§ Mr. CorbynTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what monitoring of the use of British-manufactured armaments and aircraft in Indonesia is undertaken by British diplomatic representatives.
§ Mr. GoodladIt would be impracticable on a regular basis to monitor, after transfer, equipment which we have licensed for export. We are, however, ready where necessary to ask recipient countries, on a confidential basis, about the location and use of defence equipment we have supplied. The Indonesians have assured us that British-supplied defence equipment will not be used against civilians, in Indonesia or East Timor.
§ Mr. CorbynTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what support was given by the British embassy in Indonesia to the recent trip made by a delegation of hon. Members from the all-party anglo-Indonesian Committee to Indonesia.
§ Mr. GoodladThe embassy provided an oral briefing. Her Majesty's ambassador gave a dinner in the group's honour. The deputy head of mission invited the group to meet representatives of Indonesian non-governmental 895W organisations. Embassy representatives accompanied the group on most of their official calls.
§ Mrs. ClwydTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what was the cost of official entertainments, both at diplomatic residences, whether owned or rented and elsewhere, in Indonesia for each of the last three years.
§ Mr. GoodladThe costs for entertainment at diplomatic residences cannot be extracted from the overall cost of entertainment in Indonesia. These are as follows:
- 1991–92: £44,554
- 1992–93: £49,227
- 1993–94: £51,423
§ Mrs. ClwydTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what was the cost of ministerial and civil servants' commercial overseas flights to Indonesia in each of the last three years.
§ Mr. GoodladExpenditure for duty travel to Indonesia for both Ministers and civil servants located in Britain in the FCO and ODA in 1993 and 1994 is as follows:
- 1993 (January to December): £20,416
- 1994 (January to November): £12,319
It is not possible to provide a figure for expenditure in 1992.
§ Mrs. ClwydTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what was the cost of upkeep of diplomatic residences owned by Her Majesty's Government in Indonesia in each of the last three years.
§ Mr. GoodladThe information requested is not immediately available. I shall write to the hon. Member as soon as it has been obtained.
§ Mrs. ClwydTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what was the cost of entertaining officials and representatives of the Government of Indonesia in each of the last three years.
§ Mr. GoodladThese cannot be extracted from the overall cost of entertainment by our diplomatic mission in Indonesia and on Indonesian visitors to the United Kingdom. These are as follows:
- 1991–92: £105,221
- 1992–93: £ 73,452
- 1993–94: £ 83,238
The costs in the United Kingdom include the cost of accommodation and transport for official visitors.